After secret cellars, it is the turn of secret tunnels. The police has sought the help of the scientists in the Indian Space Research Organisation and the Centre for Earth Science Studies to find out any hidden tunnels under the Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple.
This is the part of the police plan to ensure a fool-proof security cover to the priceless wealth found in the vaults of the temple.
There is widespread belief among the old-timers of the capital that there are tunnels connecting the temple to the Kowdiar Palace of the Travancore Royal family as well as the Arabian Sea.
This had prompted the police to make an effort to locate them so that adequate security measures could be initiated to avert the possibilities of any daring underground robbery plans.
“We are seeking the service of the Isro and the CESS for the purpose,” said the ADGP (administration) Venugopal K. Nair, who is giving final shape to the security cover for the temple. “So far we could not trace any tunnels that lead to the temple,” he said.
The state government had earlier constituted an expert committee comprising of Isro and CESS officials to give final shape to the security arrangements.
The expert committee that met on Wednesday directed these officials to take necessary steps to conduct an “underground search”.
“The Isro and the CESS have different kinds of maps and hence they may be able to find out if there are any secret tunnels,” said a police source.