Sabarimala scandal: The Special Investigation Team (STF) in the Sabarimala gold theft scam has made a major revelation in the court that gold is also missing from other artefacts of the temple. The SIT, which is investigating on the orders of the Kerala High Court, had registered two cases in connection with the missing gold from the door of the temple’s sanctum sanctorum.
Gold missing from many artefacts
Although the SIT has sought the custody of the alleged accused in a report submitted to the vigilance court in Kollam, the agency has said the scam is not limited to just two artefacts. It is further stated that gold is missing from the seven copper plates in the temple’s Prabha Mandalam, which cover the idols of Shiva and Vyali Rupam.
Earlier it was believed that only the two gatekeeper idols had lost gold. But now investigation has revealed that gold is missing from 7 more panels.
Gold is separated using chemicals
The gold is separated using chemicals at Chennai-based Smart Creations, the report said. It is currently in the possession of Bellary-based jeweler Govardhan Roddam. The SIT has sought the custody of 3 accused among the 10 arrested, self-sponsors Unnikrishnan Potti, Govardhan Roddam and Pankaj Bhandari of Chennai-based Smart Creations.
Ask for ISRO’s help
The SIT also told the court that it has sought technical assistance from ISRO’s center VSSC-Thiruvananthapuram to ascertain the exact amount of gold returned to various artefacts in the temple. VSSC scientists will collect samples from gold-plated copper plates, the report said.
The SIT has so far arrested 10 people, including three CPI(M) leaders, including former MLA A Padmakumar. Last week the SIT questioned former minister Kadkampalli Surendran, who was the minister of the Devaswam temple in 2019, when the alleged theft took place at the temple.
The matter came to light in October
The Sabarimala temple came into the limelight when the Kerala High Court in October 2025 ordered a probe into alleged irregularities related to the temple’s valuables and gold.
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In which the court entrusted former judge KT Shankaran with the responsibility of preparing the list of valuables of the temple and directed the vigilance officer of the temple to investigate all the irregularities in the temple.
According to the vigilance officer’s preliminary report, the gold cover on the Dwarpal idols located in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple was removed without informing the court. It is expected that after this revelation, the ruling party in the state, CPI (M), may come under more pressure.