Sabarimala gold theft: Stolen gold replaced with thin gold coating

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A scientific examination has found that a large portion of the gold originally plated on the dwarapalaka panels and door frame panels of the Sabarimala temple was removed and later replaced with a much thinner layer of gold. The findings were communicated to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) by the National Metallurgical Laboratory (NML) in Jamshedpur, which conducted the analysis.

In 1998, liquor baron and UB Group chairman Vijay Mallya sponsored the gold plating of the Sabarimala sanctum sanctorum and the dwarapalaka sculptures. When the gold coating faded over time, the Travancore Devaswom Board entrusted Unnikrishnan Potty with re-plating the structures in 2019.

Samples collected from the dwarapalaka panels and door frame panels were sent for scientific testing. According to the laboratory report, most of the original gold plated during the 1998 work was allegedly removed by the accused. A thin layer of gold was later applied before the panels were handed back to the Devaswom Board.

The report states that the gold was separated using the iodide process. However, the examination found no loss of gold from panels that were taken to Chennai for repair work during the tenure of the administration led by P.S. Prashanth. A total of eight samples were sent to the Jamshedpur laboratory for analysis.

Investigation to determine exact quantity of missing gold
The scientific findings are considered a major breakthrough in the gold theft case. Investigators are now working to determine the exact quantity of gold that went missing based on the laboratory results. Once the assessment is completed, the investigation team is expected to prepare the chargesheet.

Although the report found no gold loss during P.S. Prashanth's tenure, investigators plan to examine all remaining panels as part of the probe. Additional samples will need to be collected, and permission from the High Court will be sought for the process. In February, the High Court had directed that advanced scientific testing of the gold samples was necessary. The samples were subsequently sent to the National Metallurgical Laboratory for examination.