UAE-based businessman buys Guruvayur temple’s SUV for ₹43 lakh

In the first round, the price crossed ₹33 lakh and when the bid was about to end for ₹40.50 lakh, Vignesh Vijaykumar’s representative raised the amount to ₹43 lakh to win it.

Thiruvananthapuram: A sport utility vehicle (SUV) that was presented to the Guruvayur Sree Krishna temple last December by the Mahindra Group was sold for ₹43 lakh in a re-auction held on the premises of the temple on Monday.

The SUV was presented to the Guruvayur Sree Krishna temple last December by the Mahindra Group and was sold for ₹43 lakh in a re-auction held on Monday. (SOURCED.)

UAE-based businessman Vignesh Vijaykumar bid the highest in the auction which saw participation from about 15 people.

In the first round, the price crossed ₹33 lakh and when the bid was about to end for ₹40.50 lakh, Vignesh Vijaykumar’s representative raised the amount to ₹43 lakh to win it.

The re-auction was held following a directive of the Kerala High Court. The new version SUV was gifted to the temple on December 4 last year and an auction was held on December 18. Bahrain-based businessman Amal Mohammad Ali won the bid for ₹15.10 lakh. There were many allegations that the auction was not given enough publicity and only a single contender participated in it. The base price of the auction was ₹15 lakh and he got the vehicle for ₹15.10 lakh as no other contenders participated.

Later some devotees and the Hindu Seva Sangham, a religious outfit, approached the High Court citing several anomalies in the first round of the auction. Sometime later the court directed the Devasom Board Commissioner to hear the aggrieved parties and take a decision. The commissioner later cancelled the first auction and decided to go in for a fresh one.

“We can’t put a price for God. It is God’s property. We came prepared to take the SUV and it is really special for us,” said K Anoop who represented Vignesh Vijaykumar at the auction. He said the businessman heads a group of companies in the Middle-east and is an ardent devotee of the temple. Besides the huge amount he bid for the vehicle, he has to pay GST and complete other formalities to get the vehicle registered in his name. The final price will be almost double the market price.