Ranni: Actress Jaimala Named Accused in Sabarimala Case 

Ranni (Kerala), Dec 14 (IANS) The police crime branch that inquired into the controversial revelation by actress Jaimala that she touched the famed Sabarimala deity named her Tuesday as an accused in the case for violating religious sentiments.

In June 2006, the actress revealed that she had entered the temple in 1987 and touched the deity, violating the age-old temple tradition.

This revelation had created a furore in the state because according to the temple traditions, women who have attained puberty but have not reached menopause are barred from entering the temple, dedicated to Lord Ayappa.

Following this controversy, the state government appointed a Crime Branch team to probe the issue.

Speaking to IANS, an official attached to the Crime Branch office at Kottayam who wished not to be identified confirmed that the charge sheet has been filed and the actress has been named as the third accused.

The first accused in the case is astrologer P. Unnikrishnan and the second accused is his assistant Reghupathy.

The charge sheet has been filed at the Ranni First Class Judicial Court here. It says that the accused were involved in a deliberate and malicious act intended to outrage religious feelings under section 295 of the Indian Penal Code.

It was the actress herself who made this claim through a fax to the temple office when an astrological examination "deva prasnam" was going on by Unnikrishnan.

In his "deva prasnam", the astrologer had claimed there were signs that the idol had been touched by a woman.

The probe team has concluded that the entire episode was stage-managed just to strengthen the claim of Unnikrishnan.

Sabarimala temple is situated on the mountain ranges of the Western Ghats, at an altitude of 914 metres above sea level, four kilometres uphill from Pamba in Pathanamthitta district in central Kerala. It is one of the most famous Hindu pilgrim centres in India and has earned itself the tag of the Mecca for Hindus.