NRI wedding amid pandemic sparks row
TRIVANDRUM: Kerala High Court has pulled up the state authorities for allowing a fat wedding at the famed Guruvayoor temple amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Celebrities, including superstar Mohanlal, had reportedly atended the wedding of the son of Non-resident Indian (NRI) billionaire Ravi Pillai violating a ban on such excessive gatherings.
Kerala, which reported India’s first case on Jan.30 in 2020, accounts for 60 per cent of India’s active caseload and the fatalities are also rising sharply.
Federal authorities had recently asked the state to strictly follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and the neighbouring state stepped up surveillance on the borders.
The court asked the district police authorities to submit a detailed report on all weddings at the temple held during the past 30 days.
The court also issued notices to the state government, Pillai, the district police chief and the sectoral magistrate.
It played footage of the wedding and raised a series of questions on the decorations, the people gathered and the presence of private security.
“We see a lot of people in black uniforms and vehicles on security duty on the footage. What’s that? They are acting like black cats,” it said.
“Were they private security personnel and are there any regulations in place for private security personnel on the temple?”
In their order, last week judges Anil K Narendran and K Babu, who initiated “suo motu” proceedings, had asked the temple administrator to take the necessary steps.
The court said it was the administrator’s duty to “ensure that there is no violation of COVID-19 protocol in the conduct of marriages.”
According to reports, the court observed, there were “certain activities undertaken in the Nadapanthal” in front of the temple, in connection with the wedding of Pillai’s son.
“We agree that every worshipper has the right to conduct the marriage at the Guruvayur temple. But the right is not absolute and it comes with regulations,” it said.
“What are the responsibilities and duties of the board authorities under the statute? Is there a breach of duty here?”
The court said in the order that as per the photographs published on a portal “huge cutouts, branches of trees, etc, are used for decorating the Nadapanthal” on Monday.