By Mohamed Atherulla Shariff
The investigation into the alleged Sabarimala gold theft is no longer confined to a case of missing precious metal. What is emerging from the Special Investigation Team’s (SIT) findings is a disturbing picture of institutional complicity, forged records, and a carefully orchestrated cover-up inside one of Kerala’s most revered temple administrations.
The Kerala High Court-monitored probe has unearthed evidence suggesting that senior officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) deliberately falsified official records to facilitate the theft of gold cladding from the temple’s sacred Dwarapalaka (guardian) idols. Investigators allege that priceless gold-covered idols were dishonestly recorded as mere ‘copper plates’ while being transported for restoration, creating the perfect opportunity for the original gold to disappear without raising suspicion.
According to the SIT, the conspiracy dates back to 2019 when the idols were sent to Chennai-based Smart Creations for restoration at the request of sponsor Unnikrishnan Potty. Instead of carrying out genuine conservation work, investigators believe the original gold covering was stripped from the idols. Only a small portion of the precious metal was allegedly used for replating, while the remaining gold was siphoned off by the accused.
The deception, however, did not end there. Within months, the newly applied gold coating reportedly began peeling away, exposing the copper beneath and threatening to expose the fraud. Rather than revealing the truth, the accused allegedly devised a second phase of the operation. In 2025, the idols were once again transported to Chennai under the pretext of fresh gold plating. The SIT believes this was not a restoration exercise but an attempt to erase evidence of the earlier theft and conceal the massive discrepancy in the original gold content.
Perhaps the most explosive finding concerns the role of Travancore Devaswom Board officials themselves. The SIT report states that officials were fully aware that the temple doorframes and guardian idols were gold-clad. Yet they allegedly approved transport documents falsely describing them as ordinary copper articles. Investigators view this not as negligence but as deliberate falsification of official records that enabled the theft and shielded those responsible. Such conduct, if proven, amounts to serious official misconduct and active participation in the conspiracy rather than mere administrative failure.
The widening investigation has now brought several prominent figures under the scanner. Those named as accused include former Travancore Devaswom Board President P.S. Prasanth, former chief priest Kandararu Rajeevaru, former TDB member A. Ajikumar, former Executive Officer B. Murari Babu, and Smart Creations owner Pankaj Bhandari. Their inclusion signals that investigators suspect the alleged conspiracy extended well beyond contractors to influential functionaries within the temple administration itself.
All the accused have been booked under Sections 316(2), 316(5), 336(2), and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. The SIT has, however, sought additional time to submit its final reports, awaiting forensic and analytical findings from the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) and the National Metallurgical Laboratory (NML). These scientific analyses are expected to establish the composition of the metal used in the restored idols and determine whether substantial quantities of the original gold were indeed removed.
The revelations have once again raised uncomfortable questions about the governance of temple wealth in India. If sacred artefacts could allegedly be misrepresented in official records and their gold stripped away with the involvement, or at least the knowledge, of those entrusted with protecting them, the scandal transcends ordinary theft. It becomes a profound breach of public trust and religious faith.
For devotees, the issue is not merely about the value of the missing gold. It is about the sanctity of one of Hinduism’s holiest shrines and the accountability of those appointed to safeguard its treasures. As the investigation moves towards its conclusion, the final forensic evidence could determine whether the alleged fraud was an isolated criminal act or one of the most serious instances of institutional corruption involving temple property in recent years.
