The Kerala High Court has recently ordered an investigation into the alleged prayers performed by a priest named Narayan Swami from Tamil Nadu at Ponnambalamedu near Sabarimala in Pathanamthitta district.
Ponnambalamedu is considered as a sacred & protected place, therefore entry is allowed only with the permission of the Forest Department.
The High Court has directed the District Police Superintendent to supervise the investigation.
Additionally, the court ordered that no one should enter Ponnambalamedu except for its official purposes. This order was issued by the High Court based on suo moto cognizance.
Previously, the President of the Travancore Devaswom Board, Adv. K Ananthagopan, stated that Narayan Swami was an assistant of a former priest in Sabarimala and allegedly trespassed along with others to perform prayers.
However, it was uncertain whether the prayers were actually conducted in Ponnambalamedu. Ananthagopan mentioned that an inquiry should be conducted to confirm the incident, and the Devaswom Board intends to file a complaint with the Forest Department and the police authorities regarding the matter.
