A bench of Justice RM Lodha and Justice AK Patnaik said there "cannot be any parallel proceedings".
The Supreme Court today restrained a Thiruvananthapuram court from passing any further orders on the ongoing dispute relating to assets and management of the famed Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple as it was already monitoring the case.
A bench of Justice RM Lodha and Justice AK Patnaik said there "cannot be any parallel proceedings, when we are monitoring the case" after counsel appearing for some of the parties informed the court about certain orders passed by the principal sub-judge.
The apex court also agreed to examine certain suggestions put forth by the overseeing committee appointed by it to strengthen the security apparatus in and around the temple whose assets are valued at several hundred crores of rupees.
The committee among other things had suggested construction of security for the vaults on the lines of the Reserve Bank of India, immediate release of funds by the state government for taking up the security measures and hiring an international agency with sufficient expertise to ensure fool-proof measures with particular emphasis on maintaining the traditions, culture and confidentiality of the assets.
The bench then posted the matter for further hearing to February 23.
At the last hearing the apex court had pulled up the Kerala government saying, "We do not want your comprehensive reports or affidavits. We want compliance of our orders. We had given you three months time, but you have not done anything. It is very unfair on your part.
The bench had noted that despite its September 22, 2011 direction, neither the state nor the temple management took steps for ensuring adequate security or provide accommodation to the committee constituted by it for valuing the assets, which according to media reports is estimated to be Rs1.5 lakh crore.
On September 22, the court had said that the vault 'B' of the temple will be opened only after substantial work regarding documentation and preservation of assets unearthed from other 'kalaras' (vaults) of the shrine is completed.
The court had on July 21 appointed a five-member expert committee to supervise the unearthing and preservation of assets of the temple in Thiruvananthapuram and also a three-member committee to oversee the work of unearthing of the temple's assets.
The overseeing committee comprises retired Kerala High Court Judge MN Krishnan, erstwhile Prince of Travancore Marthanda Varma and a government representative of the rank of secretary.
The court had directed that the management of the temple would provide an amount of Rs25 lakh per year for preservation of assets and security of the temple and the rest of the amount needed would be borne by the state government.
The court said that no tender should be floated for private players for giving contract for preservation work of the assets and said that it has to be done by Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation Limited.
It had said that tradition and customs would be protected as far as possible in providing security to the temple.
The apex court had passed the orders on an application filed by Marthanda Varma and his family members challenging a Kerala High Court ruling of January 31 last year, ordering a takeover of the assets and management of the shrine by the state.
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