Raja Rao Ram Bux palace in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh where the ASI has started excavation work. (AP)
The hunt for hidden gold in Uttar Pradesh has patented a scaleable controversy for the government, which is accused of ordering a massive excavation because a local sage dreamt that 1,000 tons of gold were buried amid the ruins of a palace in Unnao.
The Supreme Court today refused to monitor the excavation just yet, stating that it will take a decision in four weeks.
"The court can't intervene in each and every sensational matter. If 1,000 tonnes of gold are available, everyone will be happy. But the court can't go by assumptions," said the Chief Justice of India P. Sathasivam.
(Sadhu dreams of buried gold, government starts digging)
A Public Interest Litigation or PIL has asked the court to supervise the search which began on Friday and order that security guards be posted at the palace to ensure that if any gold is recovered, it does not go missing.
Yogi Swami Shobhan Sarkar, who dreamt of the gold, has said that the recovery could help India combat its economic slowdown.
(Don't need to dig for gold if we get black money back: Narendra Modi)The Archaeological Survey of India or ASI says its excavation is not linked to the Shobhan Sarkar's dream. "Archaeology is a science, we don't base it on someone's dream," the agency's Director, Syed Jamal Hasan, told NDTV. "We have been restoring various places on the Ganges basin, this is routine. We expect to find some historical remains, pots and something of historical significance, no question of finding tonnes of gold," he added.