The Kerala High Court on Monday ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged theft of gold from the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, directing that the inquiry remain confidential and no details be leaked to the public.
The investigation will be led by former Superintendent of Police S Sasidharan and overseen by Crime Branch Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) H Venkatesh. The SIT will include three inspectors, among them cyber experts, tasked with ensuring transparency and technical accuracy in the probe.
The High Court Devaswom Bench emphasised the need for complete confidentiality, instructing the team to avoid any form of information leak until the investigation reaches its final stage.
Probe stems from missing gold-plated panels
The case dates back to 2019, when the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) reportedly took down several gold-lined copper plates from the temple for restoration. The controversy escalated after Unnikrishnan Potti, who had sponsored the gold-plating works, claimed that two gold-plated panels donated to the temple in 2019 were missing from the strongroom.
The issue surfaced ahead of the Global Ayyappa Sangamam event organised by the TDB. Although the TDB vigilance later claimed to have recovered the “missing” items, allegations soon emerged that about 5 kilograms of gold weight was unaccounted for in the retrieved plates.
Following these developments, the High Court took a serious view of the alleged discrepancies and instructed that a special team independently examine the sequence of events.
Devaswom minister confirms vigilance report to be submitted
Kerala Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan said that the TDB vigilance wing is set to submit its preliminary report to the High Court on October 8.
“Today, the opposition made a big, futile attempt to create controversy. Based on the High Court’s directive, the Devaswom Vigilance is already conducting an investigation. The preliminary report will be submitted to the court tomorrow (October 6),” Vasavan told reporters.
Meanwhile, TDB vigilance officials questioned Unnikrishnan Potti on October 5 for nearly three hours at their headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram. He reportedly avoided giving detailed answers to the media after the interrogation, saying only, “Everything will be proven before the High Court. The truth will prevail.”
Political parties demand High Court-monitored CBI probe
The alleged gold theft has triggered a political storm, with both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) calling for state-wide protests and demanding a CBI probe monitored by the Kerala High Court.
According to officials, the inquiry is also examining whether gold-plated panels sent to workshops in Hyderabad and Chennai for restoration between 2019 and 2025 were mishandled or tampered with, leading to discrepancies in weight and gold purity.
The High Court recently criticised the TDB for not informing the court-appointed Sabarimala Special Commissioner before removing or transporting the temple’s gold-plated panels for repairs. It also ordered the immediate return of all panels taken out for restoration, directing the Board to ensure complete accountability.
The SIT’s findings are expected to play a crucial role in determining whether there was negligence, procedural lapse, or criminal intent in the alleged gold loss.