Delhi Co denies supplying dry ice for 'lingam'

New Delhi, July 1: The capital-based Engineers Combine, whose name was splashed in a section of the media for having supplied dry ice for forming an artificial ice Shivalingam at the holy cave shrine of Amarnath, today stronly denied its ''involvement'' in any such deal.

The news story ''is totally false, fabricated, untrue, irresponsible, baseless and mala fide'' and published without verifying the facts with us,'' Engineers Combined proprietor V K Sahrawat said in a statement here.

Mr Sahrawat said his company had neither made any such lingam at the holy cave of Amarnath nor was any such order placed with it.

''Moreover, we are not involved into any such activity and also we neither make nor deal in any activity of the so-called dry ice,'' he said, adding that the company was not involved in any manner in this controversy.

A section of national dailies and the local media in Jammu and Kashmir had carreid out reports that the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), in connivance with the Delhi-based private company, decided to erect an artificial ice-lingam at the Amarnath cave shrine after finding that the Shivalingam (phallic symbol of Lord Shiva) was not formed naturally on May 13.

The reports claimed that the SASB floated tenders for the ''supply of ice'' so that an artificial stalagmite could be built in place of the natural lingam. Later, the SASB authorities got in touch with the Kirti Nagar-based Engineers Combine and ordered the company to create an artificial lingam.

About 35 bags of artificially created ice were used to create the lingam, the report said, adding each bag cost Rs 700 in addition to which 12.05 per cent was charged as sales tax.

The total cost of the ice used in creating the lingam came to around Rs 24,500 with each kg costing Rs 20, it claimed.

The report alleged that an additional Rs 16,000 were given to the company for transporting the ice-lingam to the holy cave shrine. The company charged Rs 20 per kg as labour charges for creation of ice-lingam.

A total of Rs 1.19 lakh was charged by the company as around five-and-a-half metric ton ice was used to create the lingam, the report claimed.

The artificially created ice-lingam was then installed at the holy cave shrine of Amarnath on June 7, it alleged.

Denying the news of his company's involvement, Mr Sabharwal demanded that the newspapers carry his denial on the controversy.

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Lt Gen (Retd) S K Sinha, in his capacity as the Board Chairman and in consultation with Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, had ordered a probe into the allegations by a retired Jammu and Kashmir High Court Judge.

Justice (retd) K K Gupta has been asked to submit his report within a month, the sources said, adding the judge will look into the complaints about the alleged tampering of the Shivalingam.

UNI

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