Kerala High Court orders SIT probe into missing gold from Sabarimala temple

The Kerala High Court on Friday ordered the registration of a criminal case and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the missing gold plating from the sanctum structures of the Sabarimala temple, describing the matter as one involving “serious irregularities and discrepancies.”

The order came after the Devaswom Vigilance wing submitted its final report in a sealed cover to the Devaswom Bench, comprising Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan and KV Jayakumar. The report was personally handed over by the Chief Vigilance and Security Officer.

The bench directed that the findings be forwarded to the SIT, headed by Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) H. Venkitesh, for a detailed investigation.

According to the court, nearly 475 grams of gold went missing during the 2019 gold plating of the temple’s Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) sculptures. The court observed that while the sculptures were initially recorded as copper-plated, later investigations revealed that gold had been used and then removed without proper accounting.

The gold was handed to Unnikrishnan Potti on the instructions of the Devaswom Commissioner for the plating process. However, the mahazar (official record) signed by the temple Tantri mentioned copper sheets instead of gold, raising suspicions about possible manipulation.

The court found that 14 sculptures were sent to Smart Creations in Bengaluru with gold plating intact, but Potti had instructed that it be stripped off. While Smart Creations reportedly returned the gold to Potti, he never handed it back to the Travancore Devaswom Board.

The Vigilance inquiry uncovered multiple lapses, including a big difference between the gold dispatched and the quantity that reached Chennai for plating, along with a 39-day delay in its transportation.

Adding to the suspicion, the missing pedestal of a gold-plated sculpture was later recovered from Potti’s sister’s residence. A letter written by Potti, suggesting the reuse of gold from another sculpture to cut costs, was also viewed as highly questionable. The Vigilance team later confirmed that no such extra sculpture ever existed.

Calling the issue a “major breach involving temple property,” the High Court directed that the State Police Chief oversee the investigation and ensure that the SIT registers a criminal case immediately. The team must submit progress reports every two weeks and a final report within six weeks.

Reacting to the developments, Devaswom Minister VN Vasavan said that any wrongdoing within the Devaswom Board will be thoroughly investigated. Responding to the opposition’s demand for his and former minister Kadakampally Surendran’s resignation, Vasavan said no case had been filed against either of them.

“If anyone has taken even a single piece of gold from Sabarimala, it will be returned, and strict legal action will follow,” the minister said.