Jagran State Bureau, Kolkata | The Sabarna Roychowdhury Paribar Parishad (Council) has filed a case in the South 24 Parganas District Court regarding the jewellery and other valuables belonging to Goddess Kali at the Kalighat Temple. The Parishad alleged that the keys to the bank locker (vault) where the goddess's jewellery and other valuables are kept have been missing since 1980.
Sabarna Roychowdhury Paribar Parishad Seeks Police Action
The council has requested the court to recover the locker keys, audit the temple's assets, and investigate their current status. It has also requested that an FIR be filed if any irregularities or misappropriations are discovered after audit. It is worth noting that the Sabarna Roychowdhury family is one of Kolkata's oldest landowning families.
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The family claimed that its ties to Kalighat temple date back to the 16th century and considers the current Kalighat idol to be a manifestation of their family deity, Bhuvaneshwari. According to council secretary Debarshi Roychowdhury, the items in the vault and the safety of the treasures are unknown due to the lack of a key.
No Temple Management Elections Since 2014
The tenure of the committee responsible for managing the temple's assets has expired, and proper accounting has not been conducted for a long time. Elections for the Temple Management Committee have not been held since 2014. According to Supreme Court directives, the committee's term should be five years.
It consists of five elected and six external members. The District Judge of South 24 Parganas is its ex-officio chairman. Despite Calcutta High Court directives to monitor donations from devotees, there have been allegations of violations.
Questions Were Raised In 2006 As Well
A case regarding the temple's finances was filed in the Calcutta High Court in 2006. At that time, allegations were made that donations to the temple were not reaching their designated locations. Allegations also surfaced that puja slots were being sold to outsiders.
Meanwhile, the temple's treasurer, Kalyan Halder, has acknowledged the delay in the committee elections. According to him, the process was delayed due to the death of the secretary and the indisposition of the president. The election process has now begun and the district judge has been informed. The elections are expected to be completed by December.