Sabarimala Gold Theft Mystery Deepens

The Kerala High Court has instructed the SIT to investigate the Sabarimala gold theft, with strict confidentiality. Authorities must complete the probe and submit a report within six weeks.

After confirming the theft, the Kerala High Court said evidence points to misappropriation of gold from the idols’ side frames and lintels. Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar directed strict investigation into the matter.

The Kerala High Court noted that around 474.9 grams of gold were given to Unnikrishnan Potty, who was supposed to handle gold-plating. The bench also expressed suspicion over the Devaswom Board’s actions in the matter.

The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages over 1,200 temples, faces investigation over alleged theft of gold offerings at Sabarimala. Gold cladding from the Dwarapalakas and Peedams was removed on September 7 for renovation without informing the Special Commissioner, who reported it to the Kerala High Court on September 10.

In 1998, UB Group chairman Vijay Mallya funded gold cladding for key parts of Sabarimala, including the Sreekovil entrance, roof, and Dwarapalakas. Recent records show 30.291 kg of gold was used, with 1.564 kg specifically for the Dwarapalakas.

In 2019, the gold-clad plates of the Dwarapalakas and two Peedams were given to Unnikrishnan Potti, who volunteered to sponsor fresh gold plating. He planned to send them to Chennai-based Smart Creations for the work, according to the TDB.

The transfer of gold plates for replating breached TDB rules, which require all work to be done at Sannidhanam. The court found that TDB not only failed to maintain proper records but also wrongly listed the gold as “copper plates” in official documents.

Nearly seven years after the Supreme Court allowed women of all ages to enter Sabarimala, the temple is again in the spotlight ahead of Kerala’s elections. Weeks after promoting it as an inclusive global pilgrimage center, the shrine has become embroiled in a fresh political slugfest between the ruling LDF and the UDF.