After Senior advocate KK Venugopal, it is now the turn of the Travancore royal family to object to the report submitted by amicus Gopal Subramanium..The family members have filed an application in the Supreme Court seeking intervention in the dispute. They have also assailed Subramanium’s report and have called for exercise of restraint on the part of the parties to the dispute and the amicus while interacting with the media..In the application, drawn and filed by advocate K Sasiprabhu and settled by advocate MKS Menon, the family members have stated that they are intervening to “seek vindication of their family’s honour”..They have stated that,.“This application is being made in the context of an attempt to defame, dishonour and discredit the family to disassociate them from the administration of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple. Unfortunately, various cruel and baseless allegations were made against them in the reports.Lamentably, without any basis whatsoever, the family is being accused of theft, violent and heinous crimes including a hand in murder, collusion with the State of Kerala, obstruction of justice, and scant respect for this Hon’ble court.”.The application states that the family, at one point of time, owned everything in the State including the Sree Padmanabha temple and its wealth and subsequently, it submitted everything in total surrender to the dynastic deity “Sree Padmanabha Swami” in a “great event which goes down in history as Thruppadi danam.”.They have also submitted that for centuries, the royal family had not only “flooded the temple with offerings of precious jewellery, gems and other invaluable artefacts” but also preserved, conserved, maintained and protected the same. “Present turn of events and appointment of expert committee for inventorying the wealth all happened because of the existence of wealth offered from time to time and preserved all these centuries by the family”, they submit..The application also expresses anxiety in the “graphic description of the temple complex” revealing every nook and corner of the physical structure of the temple by drawing up blue prints etc. with the result that the entire temple complex “lay bare to the world at large” thereby causing security concerns..The application says that the Amicus Curiae initially submitted a report which had no indictments against the family but in his second report submitted a year after the first report, he took views which were diametrically opposite to the first report..Further, they have claimed that various allegations by the Amicus Curiae in his report including valuables being “extracted by persons belonging to the highest echelons”, cosy relationship between the royal family and the State government to perpetuate misdeeds, administration of trust by a parallel system of trusts, pilfering of offerings made by devotees including valuables are mere suspicions and apprehensions based on which the Amicus recommended removing the Ruler from the role of the trustee..The application also slams the amicus for trespassing into the palace and cutting open gates and digging up the ground. They have requested the Court to consider whether these acts were a result of the amicus,.“underestimating or overestimating his responsibility or he simply got carried away by the Bhava Rasa he claimed to have experienced during his stay.”.The application ends with a clarification that the family has utmost faith and respect in the Supreme Court and are only questioning the logic and correctness of the conclusions in the Amicus’ report. The applicants have also stated that they have no intention to offend the Amicus Curiae and are only exercising their legitimate right to “contest the reports which damned them irreparably.”.Subramanium’s report had earlier drawn flak from Senior Advocate KK Venugopal who had submitted in court that Subramanium’s personal beliefs had influenced the report. Justice Lodha had, however, shielded Subramanium..Subramanium had subsequently relieved himself from his role as amicus though the Supreme Court requested him to reconsider that decision, and he changed his mind. Subramanium is currently at Thiruvananthapuram in that capacity.
After Senior advocate KK Venugopal, it is now the turn of the Travancore royal family to object to the report submitted by amicus Gopal Subramanium..The family members have filed an application in the Supreme Court seeking intervention in the dispute. They have also assailed Subramanium’s report and have called for exercise of restraint on the part of the parties to the dispute and the amicus while interacting with the media..In the application, drawn and filed by advocate K Sasiprabhu and settled by advocate MKS Menon, the family members have stated that they are intervening to “seek vindication of their family’s honour”..They have stated that,.“This application is being made in the context of an attempt to defame, dishonour and discredit the family to disassociate them from the administration of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple. Unfortunately, various cruel and baseless allegations were made against them in the reports.Lamentably, without any basis whatsoever, the family is being accused of theft, violent and heinous crimes including a hand in murder, collusion with the State of Kerala, obstruction of justice, and scant respect for this Hon’ble court.”.The application states that the family, at one point of time, owned everything in the State including the Sree Padmanabha temple and its wealth and subsequently, it submitted everything in total surrender to the dynastic deity “Sree Padmanabha Swami” in a “great event which goes down in history as Thruppadi danam.”.They have also submitted that for centuries, the royal family had not only “flooded the temple with offerings of precious jewellery, gems and other invaluable artefacts” but also preserved, conserved, maintained and protected the same. “Present turn of events and appointment of expert committee for inventorying the wealth all happened because of the existence of wealth offered from time to time and preserved all these centuries by the family”, they submit..The application also expresses anxiety in the “graphic description of the temple complex” revealing every nook and corner of the physical structure of the temple by drawing up blue prints etc. with the result that the entire temple complex “lay bare to the world at large” thereby causing security concerns..The application says that the Amicus Curiae initially submitted a report which had no indictments against the family but in his second report submitted a year after the first report, he took views which were diametrically opposite to the first report..Further, they have claimed that various allegations by the Amicus Curiae in his report including valuables being “extracted by persons belonging to the highest echelons”, cosy relationship between the royal family and the State government to perpetuate misdeeds, administration of trust by a parallel system of trusts, pilfering of offerings made by devotees including valuables are mere suspicions and apprehensions based on which the Amicus recommended removing the Ruler from the role of the trustee..The application also slams the amicus for trespassing into the palace and cutting open gates and digging up the ground. They have requested the Court to consider whether these acts were a result of the amicus,.“underestimating or overestimating his responsibility or he simply got carried away by the Bhava Rasa he claimed to have experienced during his stay.”.The application ends with a clarification that the family has utmost faith and respect in the Supreme Court and are only questioning the logic and correctness of the conclusions in the Amicus’ report. The applicants have also stated that they have no intention to offend the Amicus Curiae and are only exercising their legitimate right to “contest the reports which damned them irreparably.”.Subramanium’s report had earlier drawn flak from Senior Advocate KK Venugopal who had submitted in court that Subramanium’s personal beliefs had influenced the report. Justice Lodha had, however, shielded Subramanium..Subramanium had subsequently relieved himself from his role as amicus though the Supreme Court requested him to reconsider that decision, and he changed his mind. Subramanium is currently at Thiruvananthapuram in that capacity.
