Sabarimala gold plating ‘scam’: HC orders SIT probe as vigilance shares shocking details

The Kerala High Court on Monday (October 6) ordered a court-monitored probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into allegations of loss of gold from the gold-plated copper plates that covered the Dwarapalaka (door guardian) idols at the Sabarimala temple.

Law and order ADGP to head SIT

The Division Bench of Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice KV Jayakumar, while hearing Suo Motu v. State of Kerala & Ors., appointed Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) H Venkatesh, Law and Order, Kerala Police, to head the SIT.

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“We are of the view that a special team of officers of highest integrity are required to probe into this matter. Sri H Venkatesh IPS, ADGP, Law and Order in the Kerala Police, can be appointed as head of the special investigation team, to investigate all aspects of the matter,” the bench stated in its order.

4.54 kg shortfall of gold during transit

The suo motu proceedings were initiated after reports surfaced that the gold-plated copper coverings of the Dwarapalaka idols at Sabarimala had been removed and sent for repair without prior intimation to either the HC or the Sabarimala Special Commissioner.

The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) had removed the coverings and entrusted them to Smart Creations, a Chennai-based firm, for re-plating under the sponsorship of a devotee named Unnikrishnan Potti, who was a former priest at Sabarimala temple.

What alarmed the court were findings that the items weighing 42.8 kilograms were handed over to Potti for delivery to the Chennai firm, but the actual weight recorded at the firm was around 38 kilograms — a shortfall of 4.54 kilograms of gold.

Seizure of ‘pedhams’ deepens row

The bench took a serious view of this discrepancy, observing that such a large variation in gold weight was “glaring and required urgent investigation.”

Following a preliminary direction from the court on September 17, the Chief Vigilance Officer submitted a report that deepened the controversy. The report revealed that during a search at the residence of Mini, the sister of Potti, the vigilance team found certain gold-plated ‘pedhams’ (base panels or stands of idols) concealed in the house.

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These items, which were not listed in any official TDB register or ‘mahazar’, were seized by the vigilance team. The high court noted that this revelation was “deeply troubling”, particularly since no records existed to show that such articles were ever formally entrusted to Potti for re-plating.

The bench observed that this discovery raised the possibility of misappropriation and concealment of temple valuables, and that the matter could no longer be treated as a routine administrative lapse.

Lapses in TDB documentation

The vigilance report also pointed to serious discrepancies in the TDB’s documentation, including missing entries in the Thiruvabharanam (temple ornament) diary and inconsistent records of gold ornaments offered by devotees.

Registers detailing the removal of ornaments for repair, the return of valuables after re-plating, and other key transactions were found to be incomplete or missing.

“The registers of the TDB lack accuracy and reliability,” the court noted, adding that the situation “evidences serious systemic flaws and administrative lapses in the handling of temple assets.”

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In light of these findings, the court last week requested former high court judge Justice KT Sankaran to oversee a comprehensive inventory of all valuables at the Sabarimala temple, including gold, silver, and articles of antiquity. The inventory process is to be conducted under court supervision to ensure full accountability.

HC slams unusual ‘request’

During Monday’s hearing, the bench was informed of a new development. Potti, the sponsor of the gold plating work, had sent an email to the president of the TDB stating that he still had some gold-clad plates in hand after completing the repair works.

In the email, he allegedly sought permission to utilise the leftover gold for the marriage of a girl. The court described this communication as “shocking and indicative of blatant misuse of temple property.”

The judges remarked that such conduct showed a complete disregard for the sanctity of temple assets and underlined the need for a high-level criminal probe.

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Ordering the SIT probe, the bench observed that “various penal offences appear to have been made out in the case.” It added that the emerging facts suggested a “wider conspiracy not limited to Potti but involving officials who handled the gold in violation of established norms.”

What HC ordered SIT

The court instructed the SIT to investigate all aspects of the case, including the chain of custody of the temple valuables, the accuracy of audit records, the role of Devaswom officials, and possible criminal liability arising from the disappearance of gold.

The team led by ADGP Venkatesh has been directed to submit an initial report within a fixed timeframe to the Devaswom bench for further judicial monitoring.

What began as an inquiry into irregularities has now evolved into a full-fledged criminal investigation under the court’s supervision.