The controversy dates back to 2019, when copper plates from the Dwarapalaka sculptures were taken to Chennai for gold plating without the knowledge or approval of the Sabarimala Special Commissioner.
Published Oct 06, 2025 | 7:36 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 06, 2025 | 7:36 PM
Kerala High Court. (iStock)
Synopsis: The Opposition, meanwhile, had been demanding a court-monitored CBI investigation, alleging irregularities and lack of transparency in the earlier inquiries into the gold plating work carried out at the Sabarimala temple. The court’s decision marks a crucial turn in the ongoing controversy that has once again brought scrutiny over the handling of temple assets and accountability within the Travancore Devaswom Board.
At a time when the Opposition has been vociferously demanding a court-monitored CBI probe into the Sabarimala gold plating controversy, the Kerala High Court on Monday, 6 October, ordered a high-level investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state Crime Branch.
The Devaswom Bench comprising Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan and KV Jayakumar directed that the probe be completed within a month and maintained that the investigation should be conducted in a confidential manner.
The court noted that there were serious matters that required detailed examination.
The SIT will be headed by Crime Branch chief ADGP H. Venkatesh, while SP S. Sasidharan will lead the probe team, which will also include members from the cyber division and police officers drawn from various stations across the state.
The investigation will look into the role of “sponsor” Unnikrishnan Potti and officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board in connection with the controversial gold plating of the Dwarapalaka idols at Sabarimala.
The controversy dates back to 2019, when copper plates from the Dwarapalaka sculptures were taken to Chennai for gold plating without the knowledge or approval of the Sabarimala Special Commissioner.
The issue resurfaced after the High Court, acting suo motu, revisited the matter following its earlier orders issued in September this year. Observing that some of the revelations in the recent submissions were “shocking,” the Bench said a detailed police investigation was necessary.
Reacting to the development, Devaswom Minister VN Vasavan said the government welcomed the High Court’s decision to order a Crime Branch probe.
The Opposition, meanwhile, had been demanding a court-monitored CBI investigation, alleging irregularities and lack of transparency in the earlier inquiries into the gold plating work carried out at the Sabarimala temple. The court’s decision marks a crucial turn in the ongoing controversy that has once again brought scrutiny over the handling of temple assets and accountability within the Travancore Devaswom Board.
Devaswom Vigilance has detected a major theft at Sabarimala, as highlighted in it’s interim investigation report submitted to the High Court in connection with the gold-plating controversy.
The report confirms that gold from the Dwarapalaka idols sheets was stolen, pointing to a larger conspiracy behind the incident.
According to the findings, the Dwarapalaka idols originally contained 1.5 kilograms of gold. However, when Unnikrishnan Potty returned the sheets in July 2019, only 394 grams remained, the Vigilance clarified. The report also mentions that the gold provided by Vijay Mallya was embedded in eight layers, weighing a total of four kilograms, of which two sheets were given to Unnikrishnan Potty.
The Vigilance emphasized that the exact amount of gold in these layers still needs to be determined.
A crucial development in the investigation involved an email sent by Unnikrishnan Potti to Padmakumar, requesting information about the Dwarapalaka idols.
The Vigilance noted that a month after this message, the idol was handed over, suggesting a potential link to the conspiracy.
Further, the report identifies discrepancies between the current gold sheets and those from before 2019. By comparing images of the original layers with the sheets renewed in 2019 and again in 2025 the Vigilance concluded that a significant amount of gold is missing, reinforcing suspicions of wrongdoing.
(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Dileep V Kumar and Sreelakshmi Soman)
