Hand over Keeladi artefacts to State after publication of report, HC tells ASI

Disposing of public interest litigation petitions pertaining to Keeladi archaeological excavations, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to hand over 5,765 artefacts to the State after the report on the first two phases of the Keeladi archaeological excavations in Sivaganga district was published in nine months.

The Centre told a Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Vijaykumar Gangapurwala and Justice P. Dhanabal that the artefacts were kept at the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Chennai Circle, under the supervision of the Excavation Branch, Mysuru. The court directed the same to be handed over to the State after the report was published.

The court took into account that a museum had been established and most of the artefacts were kept in the museum in Keeladi.

The court directed the State government to take effective steps to preserve the artefacts.

The court disposed of the petition pertaining to the transfer of the then Superintending Archaeologist K. Amarnath Ramakrishna who led the first two phases of the archaeological excavations at Keeladi. The court took into account that Mr. Ramakrishna is now serving as Superintending Archaeologist, Temples Survey Project, Southern Region.

Earlier, the Centre told the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court that ASI will publish the report on the first two phases of Keeladi archaeological excavations submitted by Superintending Archaeologist Mr. Ramakrishna in nine months.

The petitions were filed in 2016 and 2017 respectively by advocate Kanimozhi Mathi of Chennai.