A vigilance report into the missing gold from the sanctum sanctorum of the Sabarimala temple has brought the 2019 Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) under the scanner, suggesting that key members of the then board may have been aware of irregularities.
The report, which prompted the Kerala High Court to order the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT), found it improbable that the gold-clad plates of the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols were sent to Chennai for electroplating without the knowledge of the board members who were in office at the time.
According to the vigilance findings, the Travancore Devaswom manual clearly states that all work involving the use or handling of valuables belonging to the Devaswom must be done within its premises and under the supervision of a responsible officer. It further mandates that the making or repair of thiruvabharanams (sacred ornaments) should, as far as possible, be carried out under the direct supervision of the Assistant Commissioner.
The report noted that these procedures were flouted in July 2019 when the gold-clad plates of the Dwarapalaka idols were handed over to sponsor Unnikrishnan Potty. The plates were subsequently taken to a private facility, Smart Creations, in Chennai and returned 49 days later.
Also read: HC confirms Sabarimala gold theft, seeks SIT report within 6 weeks
“It is not possible to consider that the board authorities were unaware of the illegal act by the officials. It is also unlikely that officials carried out this act on their own. It should be investigated whether there was pressure or direction from board members,” the report stated.
Describing the incident as “a serious lapse on the part of the 2019 board”, the vigilance wing recommended stern action against those responsible. The report has cast a shadow over the previous board’s tenure, especially over decisions made regarding temple assets and oversight mechanisms.
Former TDB president and CPI(M) leader A Padmakumar, who headed the board in 2019, dismissed allegations of wrongdoing and said he would fully cooperate with the investigation. “Let the truth come out. Let the lapses, if any, be exposed. I will cooperate with the investigation,” Padmakumar said.
He alleged that there was an attempt to target him and his board selectively. “Why is only the 2017–19 board being asked to answer all the questions? These issues did not begin and end with that board. The truth will soon come out,” he said.
The Kerala High Court had earlier directed the formation of an SIT to probe the disappearance of the gold used to cover the idols at the Sabarimala Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) after discrepancies surfaced in records and audits.
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