Sabarimala gold theft: High Court seeks scientific probe, issues strict guidelines

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has issued detailed directions for a scientific investigation into the Sabarimala gold theft case. The order was based on information submitted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to the court.

The court directed that the gold plates covering the Dwarapalaka idols and side pillars must be weighed, along with the wooden panels (Kattila plates) installed in 2019, whose weights were not recorded at that time. Gold samples should be collected from the parts of the temple not handed over to Potty. This is to determine how much gold was used during the 1998 gold plating and how much has been lost since then. The area of the sections involved in the case should also be recorded separately. Samples of the copper plates used on the Dwarapalaka sculptures and wooden panels should be taken, along with samples from other related areas. These samples must undergo physical, chemical, and electrical conductivity tests, as well as spectroscopic and microstructure analyses.

The court observed that the careless handling of valuable temple assets was “shocking.” It said the situation had deteriorated to the point where fake replicas of sacred items were being presented. Both the manual guidelines and court orders were violated, and the Special Commissioner was not informed about key actions, the court noted.

The court also mentioned that in 2024, there were hurried moves to carry out repairs on the Dwarapalaka sculptures, though earlier orders were not properly followed. The same demand resurfaced mysteriously in July 2025, and approval was given again.

In 2019, Unnikrishnan Potty had written a letter claiming he still had 474 grams of leftover gold. The court remarked that it was surprising no criminal action was taken then. Despite this knowledge, the current Travancore Devaswom Board continued to entrust gold-related work to him. The board neither discovered nor investigated that the pedestals had been taken to his sister’s house until the vigilance investigation revealed it.

Potty's irregularities date back several years

• The court said that Unnikrishnan Potty’s irregularities date back several years. It criticised the Travancore Devaswom authorities for giving him complete freedom in handling temple affairs. Records show that questionable sponsorship-related dealings began as early as 2018.
• There was no strict supervision during repair works, and the Devaswom Engineering Department was not involved. The santhis (temple priests) removed the temple doors, and Potty invited the Devaswom Board president to Chennai to witness the gold plating, even offering accommodation. However, official representatives were sent instead. On March 3, 2019, the door was gold-plated. The then Thiruvabharanam Commissioner, K.S. Baiju, wrote the mahazar, assigning Potty the responsibility of bringing the door back to Sabarimala. Potty returned the door on March 11, in a process recorded by Executive Officer Sudheesh Kumar and Administrative Officer Murari Babu. During this period, however, the door was taken to another temple, according to the investigation.