Kerala HC Orders SIT Probe into Sabarimala Gold Scandal

Kerala High Court Orders SIT Probe into Sabarimala Gold-Plating Controversy

Court-monitored investigation to examine missing 4.5 kg of temple gold

Opposition demands minister’s resignation as political storm erupts in Kerala Assembly

By Our Legal Correspondent

New Delhi: October 07, 2025: The Kerala High Court has ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe serious discrepancies in the gold-plating of the Dwarapalaka idols at the famous Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple. The court’s decision comes after reports revealed that nearly 4.54 kilograms of gold may have gone missing during the plating and restoration works carried out in 2019 and subsequent years.

The controversy has triggered a political storm in Kerala, with the Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) demanding the resignation of Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan and calling for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe.

Background of the Gold-Plating Project

The Sabarimala temple, one of the most revered pilgrimage centres in India, underwent a gold-plating project for its sanctum sanctorum and the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols.

In 1998, industrialist Vijay Mallya sponsored the first major gold-plating of the sanctum.
In 2019, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) entrusted the repair and re-plating of the Dwarapalaka idols to a Chennai-based firm, Smart Creations, under the sponsorship of a devotee, Unnikrishnan Potti.
According to official records, 42.8 kg of gold-plated copper items were handed over for repair. However, the firm recorded receiving only 38.26 kg, leaving a discrepancy of 4.54 kg.

This missing gold has now become the centre of a major religious and political controversy.

Court’s Intervention

The Kerala High Court, after reviewing a sealed report from the Chief Vigilance and Security Officer of Sabarimala, expressed grave concern over the findings.

A Division Bench of Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice K.V. Jayakumar ordered the formation of an SIT led by Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) H. Venkatesh.
The SIT will include senior police officers and must complete the probe within one month.
The court directed that the SIT should not interact with the media and that its report should remain confidential until further orders.
Retired High Court judge Justice K.T. Sankaran has been appointed to oversee a comprehensive inventory of all valuables at the temple, citing inaccuracies in TDB records.

The court also allowed vigilance officers to open the Sabarimala strong room and compare the idols with photographs taken in 2019 to verify discrepancies.

Shocking Revelations

The controversy deepened after several disturbing details emerged:

An email from Unnikrishnan Potti to the TDB President in 2019 revealed that he had leftover gold after the plating work and sought permission to use it for a girl’s marriage.
Vigilance officers later recovered gold-plated pedestals (peedams) from the residence of Potti’s sister in Thiruvananthapuram.
The court noted that the items were wrongly described as “copper plates” in official records, even though they were clad with 1.564 kg of gold.

These revelations raised suspicions of misappropriation, theft, and breach of trust involving temple property.

Political Reactions

The issue has snowballed into a major political controversy in Kerala.

The Opposition UDF staged a protest in the Kerala Assembly, carrying banners that read “Ayyappan’s gold swallowed by temple officials.”
Opposition leader V.D. Satheesan demanded the resignation of Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan and the TDB President, accusing them of shielding corruption.
The Opposition also demanded a CBI probe, arguing that a state-level investigation may not be impartial.
The Assembly session was disrupted, with Opposition MLAs chanting “Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa” and surrounding the Speaker’s chair.

In response, Minister Vasavan welcomed the High Court’s decision and said the government had no direct role in the gold-plating project, as the TDB is an autonomous body. He assured full cooperation with the investigation.

Devotees’ Concerns

For millions of devotees of Lord Ayyappa, the controversy has come as a deep shock.

Many see the alleged disappearance of gold as a betrayal of faith and a violation of the temple’s sanctity.
Devotee groups have demanded greater transparency in temple administration and stricter monitoring of valuables.
Social media has been flooded with reactions, with hashtags like #SabarimalaGoldRow and #AyyappanGold trending in Kerala.

Wider Implications

The Sabarimala gold-plating controversy is not just about missing gold—it raises larger questions about:

Accountability of temple boards like the TDB.
Transparency in handling temple donations and valuables.
The need for independent audits of temple assets.
The role of politics in temple administration, as seen in the heated Assembly debates.

Experts believe that the High Court’s intervention could set a precedent for stricter oversight of temple finances across India.

What Happens Next

The SIT has been given one month to complete its investigation. Key tasks include:

Verifying the weight and purity of gold used in the plating.
Examining the role of TDB officials and the sponsor.
Investigating the recovery of gold-plated items from private residences.
Submitting a confidential report to the High Court.

Depending on the findings, the court may order criminal proceedings against those involved.

Conclusion

The Sabarimala gold-plating controversy has shaken Kerala’s political and religious landscape. With the High Court stepping in, devotees hope that the truth will emerge, and accountability will be fixed.

As the SIT begins its work, all eyes are on whether the missing 4.54 kg of gold will be traced and whether those responsible wills face justice.

For now, the controversy serves as a reminder that faith and trust are as valuable as gold—and both must be safeguarded with utmost care.