Strong evidences: Sabarimala gold robbery investigation leads to irregularities in 2025

KOCHI: The next phase of the SIT investigation into the Sabarimala gold theft will reach the 2025 irregularities and the governing body. Evidence has been found that implicates the outgoing Devaswom President PS Prashanth and the current Thiruvabharanam Commissioner R Rejilal. The secret move in the Travancore Devaswom Board to hand over this year's maintenance to the first accused Unnikrishnan Potty was to cover up the 2019 gold theft. The High Court has directed that an investigation be conducted into the conspiracy involved and that it should reach the top.

The Dwarapalaka sculptures and pedestals, which were gold-plated in 2019 with a 40-year warranty, soon showed signs of copper. In 2024, a move was made to hand over the maintenance works to Potty again. An order signed by the president was issued, but it was not implemented. Another hurried move was made in July this year. The High Court concluded that the board was eager to assign Potty himself to the task so that the matter would not be exposed. The court has recorded in the order that Rejilal expedited the proceedings on the instructions of the then president Prashanth. Rejilal was questioned.

It is almost clear that the crime of stealing the original sculptures and replacing them with copies was committed in the Sabarimala case. The case will take on another dimension if this crime is confirmed. In addition to the gold theft, the court had also raised suspicions that Potty and his associates are links to an international mafia involved in the illegal trade of temple art.

2025: Strong Evidence

👉 Tantri Mahesh Mohanar's letter to carry out repairs in the temple premises was ignored. The board issued an order to hand over the sculptures to Potty on September 3, 2025.

👉The repairs were secretly handed over to Unnikrishnan Potty without calling for tenders and without expert reports.

👉 The Thiruvabharanam Commissioner, who had written a letter on July 30, 2025 stating that Smart Creations in Chennai lacked technical expertise, changed his position. A new letter was issued on August 21 stating that the action was being expedited as per the President's instructions.

👉 The gold plates were moved without informing the Special Commissioner. They were also smuggled out in violation of the High Court's order of 2023.

👉The pages in the Devaswom Board minute book are blank after July 28. The decision to distribute the plates was made, and the order was subsequently issued.

👉Although the board claimed that the sheets were taken with heavy security, it is a mystery that the pedestals ended up at Potty's sister's house in Thiruvananthapuram.