The Kerala High Court has ordered a detailed investigation into discrepancies surrounding the Sabarimala temple’s gold plating project, after it was discovered that 4 kgs of gold were unaccounted for during re-plating works in 2019.
A Division Bench of Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice KV Jayakumar directed the Chief Vigilance and Security Officer—who is also the Superintendent of Police of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB)—to conduct the probe. The court emphasized that the truth behind the missing gold must be brought to light.
Gold Discrepancy Detected
The issue came to notice after the Special Commissioner of Sabarimala submitted a report raising concerns about the handling of the temple’s Dwarapalaka idols (door guardians). According to records, the idols’ gold-plated copper coverings were removed in 2019 for repair and re-plating. However, when the plates were returned, the weight of the gold was found to be nearly four kilograms less than what was recorded.
The court observed: “The registers which are placed before the Court by the Chief Security Officers shall be returned so that the proper investigation will be conducted.” It further directed the Travancore Devaswom Board to extend full cooperation to the Vigilance Officer during the enquiry.
The controversy deepened when it was revealed that the Board removed the idols’ gold-plated coverings without seeking prior approval from either the Sabarimala Special Commissioner or the High Court. The Special Commissioner pointed out that such actions violated protocol and raised suspicions about the loss.
The idols were originally made in 1999. In 2019, on the request of sponsor Unnikrishnan Potti, the gold plating was sent for repair to a Chennai-based firm, Smart Creations. It was during the idols’ stay with the firm that the reduction in gold weight was recorded.
Court Proceedings
The matter was taken up seriously by the court, which stressed that accountability must be fixed. Senior Government Pleader S. Rajmohan represented the State, while Standing Counsel G. Biju appeared for the Travancore Devaswom Board. Advocate Sayujya Radhakrishnan served as amicus curiae on behalf of the Sabarimala Special Commissioner.
Unnikrishnan Potti, who sponsored the plating, was represented by Advocates R. Sudhish and M. Manju.
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