Priceless artefacts missing from Padmanabhaswamy, claims Police; temple management strongly demurs

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The administrative committee of the historic Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple has strongly rejected a high-level police report by the Director General of Police (DGP), which alleged a massive theft of centuries-old gold and diamond ornaments from the temple's heavily fortified sanctum sanctorum.

In a statement countering the law enforcement's findings, the temple management asserted that a physical verification was conducted independently, revealing that no priceless artefacts or valuables were missing from the treasury. Sources indicate that the committee is preparing to formally register its protest by submitting an official letter to the state government. Meanwhile, the Home Secretary is scheduled to brief Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on the DGP’s findings.

The controversy erupted following a comprehensive report submitted by the State Police Chief to the Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Bishwanath Sinha, which flagged a multi-crore security breach and theft. According to official police records, the 'Vairanamam'—a priceless diamond forehead ornament—was removed six months ago under the guise of polishing but remains unaccounted for. Furthermore, preliminary police audits revealed a shortage of at least 9.75 sovereigns of gold from the repository of offerings made by devotees.

The investigative report also highlighted the mysterious disappearance of the temple's sacred seven-petaled golden lamp, traditionally used for the evening 'Deeparadhana' rituals. The police allege the lamp was smuggled out under the pretext of repair works, forcing the temple priests to currently utilise a silver substitute.

Security vulnerabilities were further exposed during an inspection by Thiruvananthapuram Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Nakul Rajendra Deshmukh, who reportedly discovered loose gold fragments scattered carelessly, prompting an urgent recommendation to relocate them to secure strongrooms.

The probe has cast a shadow of suspicion over internal access points, particularly the 'Chempakathummoodu' entrance—a restricted doorway historically reserved for members of the erstwhile royal family. The DGP’s report noted that this specific gate completely lacks surveillance scanners or manual security screening, making it a suspected conduit for smuggling. The systemic loopholes came to light recently when a missing sacred silver bowl was abruptly returned by the driver of an individual closely associated with the temple, following intense public scrutiny.

As the standoff between the police department and the temple administration intensifies, a high-level government intervention is expected to resolve the conflicting claims over the safety of the ancient wealth.