Kerala's famed Sabarimalla temple has found itself at the centre of controversy once again, after authorities discovered a shocking gold heist.
The investigation began in September this year, when Sabarimala’s special commissioner moved the Kerala High Court regarding a procedural lapse at the temple.
R Jayakrishnan informed the court that two sculptures were taken out of the temple premises for repair, without the required permissions.
He was talking about these dwarapalaka, or door guardian sculptures, that are made of copper and covered with gold.
Origins of theft
According to the commissioner, the gold repairs were last done by a Chennai-based firm in 2019. The gold polishing and electro-plating done at the time came with a 40-year warranty. Jayakrishnan, therefore, questioned the need for the recent repairs.
The subsequent court-monitored inspection of the sculptures uncovered a massive fraud.
On September 17, the high court found that the gold-plated panels weighed only 38.25 kilograms after repairs, while they originally weighed 42.80 kgs. Over four kilograms of gold was missing.
Furthermore, the gold-plated panels were listed as ‘copper sheets’ in the temple trust’s official documents.
The High Court then widened the probe to cover all gold-plated structures of the revered Ayyappa temple.
Further investigation revealed pilferage of gold from the pedestals and door frames of the sanctum sanctorum.
On final count, approximately 4.54 kgs of gold had gone missing from Sabarimala since 2019.
Prime accused arrested
The SIT named Unnikrishnan Potty, a Bengaluru-based businessman and a former junior priest at the shrine, as the prime accused.
Not only was Potty in charge of the latest repair, he was also the one who sponsored the renovation in 2019.
Since Potty’s arrest, several current and former officials of the temple trust have been apprehended.
The court has ordered the SIT to identify and bring to book every person culpable in the matter.
