Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar moved the Kerala High Court on Monday, seeking an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the alleged misappropriation of gold from the Dwarapalaka idols at the Sabarimala temple.
A Division Bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and KV Jayakumar, after noting objections raised by the registry regarding filing defects, decided to list the matter for hearing on December 9. The Bench directed Chandrasekhar and his co-petitioners, Dr PS Mahendra Kumar and C Devidas, to rectify the errors by that date.
The same Bench is already handling a suo motu (on its own motion) case initiated over the issue of missing gold at Sabarimala. The court had recently tasked a retired judge with conducting an internal inquiry and constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to carry out a detailed probe into the misappropriation allegations.
The petitioners, who identified themselves as devotees of Lord Ayyappa, expressed deep concern about the serious and systematic failure of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) in managing the Sabarimala temple assets, specifically the gold-clad plates of the Dwarapalaka idols.
According to their plea, the gold coverings over the Dwarapalakas were donated by a devotee, alongside gold coverings for the sides and roof of the Sreekovil, back in 1999. The coverings were removed in 2019 and taken to Chennai for repair work. The mahazars (official records) prepared at the time of removal described the plates as copper sheets, not gold-plated copper plates, the petition noted.
The controversy resurfaced in 2025 when the gold-clad plates were again taken for repairs. The Special Commissioner alerted the Court that the TDB had removed the gold-plated copper plates and handed them over to a devotee named Unnikrishnan Potti for repair and electroplating without prior intimation or approval from the Special Commissioner or the Court.
The petitioners claimed that the items were entrusted by Potti to Smart Creations, a Chennai-based firm. However, out of the 42.8 kg of items handed over, only about 38 kg was returned by the firm, revealing a significant discrepancy of approximately 4.54 kg. The petition pointed out that the Bench, after reviewing the SIT reports in the suo motu case, found prima facie evidence of major lapses by TDB officials and possible criminal offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
The plea contends that the TDB, its president, members, and officers failed to uphold their statutory duty to protect temple assets under the Travancore-Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act, 1950.
The petitioners argued that the SIT headed by Kerala Police might not be able to conduct a fully independent investigation because the issue allegedly involves officers and former Board members affiliated with the current ruling political party, which controls the government. They added that the probe requires coordination across States, as the missing gold may have been transported outside Kerala.
The petition stated: "The persons who were members of the Travancore Devaswom Board and who are presently appointed had their affiliation to the ruling political party, which controls the affairs of the government. The investigation, presently being conducted cannot instil confidence in the minds of persons like the petitioners, who are the devotees of Lord Ayyappa, as the police forces are directly controlled by the State Government and possibility of the investigation leading to the political heads and to the government itself cannot be ruled out."
The petitioners have, therefore, urged the Court to transfer the entire investigation to the CBI. They also sought orders for a 10-year audit of the TDB board by the Comptroller and Auditor General and for the public release of the resultant audit reports. Advocate Gokul Krishna appeared for the petitioners.
Also read: Sabarimala scam: CPI(M) signals action against ex-TDB chief
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