Kerala temple treasure 'vulnerable to tunnelling'
A Supreme Court panel on Friday criticised security surrounding the vast underground treasure trove found inside Kerala's Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple, saying it could be vulnerable to 'tunnelling attempts'.
The stash of golden statues, diamonds and other treasures valued at up to $22 billion was unearthed in June in the vaults of the 16th-century temple.
It is widely regarded as the largest discovery of its kind in India.
An expert panel set up by the Supreme Court to evaluate the treasure said security arrangements at the temple, including the presence of armed commandos, were 'high on promise and low on performance'.
Unless steps are taken, the treasure is 'susceptible to tunnelling attempts', said the panel, which includes a retired judge and representatives of the former Travancore royal family.
The temple, dedicated to Vishnu, was built hundreds of years ago by the king of Travancore and donations by devotees have been kept in its vaults ever since.
Five of the vaults have already been opened amid mounting public debate about what to do with the riches.
But the Supreme court on Friday said the question of opening vault B of Kerala's Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple will be considered only after steps have been taken for the protection and conservation of the artefacts that were taken out from other vaults
An apex court bench of Justice R.V. Raveendran and Justice A.K. Patnaik gave the ruling while reserving its order on the recommendations of the expert committee on the security of the valuables from other vaults.
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