In a sudden development,  the Tamil Nadu government has sent Sethusamudram Corporation Ltd’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director N K Raghupathy on leave for two months from July 27, giving rise to speculation that the man who was as passionate about the controversial shipping canal project as Union Shipping Minister T R Baalu and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, has fallen from grace. Chennai Port Trust Chairman K Suresh will temporarily hold charge of SCL Chief Executive Officer.
Mr Raghupathy, who is also Chairman of the Tuticorin Port Trust, however, told the media, “whether I will continue in the post ( of CEO of SCL)  or not will be decided by the government after my return”.
 He had applied for one month’s leave from August 1. The government has instead granted him two months leave.  Reports say the government decision follows differences between Mr Raghupathy and Mr Baalu over demolition of a  building under the Tuticorin Port Trust, which had not paid the lease dues.
It is said Mr Baalu was opposed to demolition for fear of antagonising the local Nadar community. Mr Raghupathy, however, went ahead and razed the building.  Though leave was sanctioned with effect from July 27, the order came to his knowledge hours after he met the media on Saturday and made public an e-mail response from US space agency NASA to a query from SCL official on the controversial Adam’s bridge/Ramar palan.
Mr Raghupathy cited the e-mail to drive home the point that the rocky formation between Danushkody near Rameswaram and Talaimannar in northern Sri Lanka is natural and not man-made, thus disproving the claim by Hindu outfits that it was a bridge built by Rama’s monkey army to enable him to go to Sri Lanka and rescue Sita.
Though he only released copies of the e-mail from NASA, he has touched upon a subject that is sub judice and the government is therefore likely to be hauled up for contempt.  Petitions by Hindu Munnani leader Ramagopalan and Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy for realignment of the project to save the “Ramar Setu” are pending before Madras High Court.