Commissioner to hold hearing

Thrissur:

Guruvayur

devaswom commissioner

Biju Prabhakar

will hold a public hearing regarding the auction of the SUV Mahindra Thar to NRI businessman

Amal Muhammed Ali

from Guruvayur devaswom. The hearing on Saturday is being conducted based on the order of the high court. The devaswom had kept the disbursal of the vehicle pending following the filing of a petition by an activist of Hindu Sewa Sangam at the HC, even though the auction was held on December 18. Prabhakar said the court had directed the commissioner to conduct a hearing within three weeks of the order and take a decision within three weeks.“The person who had given the complaint as well the man who had won the auction will be heard at the sitting. Others who want to be heard on the issue will also be given opportunity. They should submit their objections in advance to the temple administrator,”he said.The car was donated to the temple as an offering by the manufacturer, and Ali who is based out of Bahrain had won the auction. Ali, who had quoted the vehicle at Rs 15,10,000, was the only participant in the auction. Critics have raised objection to the decision of the devaswom to endorse the auction even though there was only one participant. The devaswom authorities had explained that they decided not to go for re-auction, fearing that the price of the vehicle will come down further by the end of December 31, Prabhakar said.Ali said he would personally appear at the hearing or will send a representative. He said he is a devotee of Lord Guruvayurappan and he wanted to possess the car donated to the deity, because of his devotion to the deity.