SIT alleges organised theft of gold from Sabarimala temple during repair work
Seeking custody of the key accused, the SIT told the court that the gold-plated copper components in the sanctum sanctorum were removed after they were misrepresented as ordinary copper sheets. Investigators alleged that the material was transported to a private workshop in Chennai, where the gold layer was chemically removed before the copper was replated and sent back to the temple to avoid detection.
According to the SIT, the items removed included decorative panels depicting 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu, zodiac motifs, the doorway of the sanctum and the prabhamandalam, the ornamental arch behind the deity. The operation allegedly caused financial loss to the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which oversees the shrine.
The SIT termed these actions as breach of trust, alleging that the mined gold was neither disclosed to the devaswom officials nor deposited in the temple treasury and was instead treated as personal property.
Many suspects were arrested and sent to the courthouse. The SIT told the court that custodial interrogation was necessary to recover the remaining gold and map the entire network involved in the alleged diversion. TOI reported.
Those named in the case include former TDB chairman A Padmakumar, devaswom commissioner N Vasu, Sabarimala executive officer Sudheesh Kumar, administrative officer Murari Babu, Chennai-based Smart Creations CEO Pankaj Bhandari, Ballari-based jeweler Roddam Pandu Rangaiah Naga Govardhan and prime accused Unnikrishnan Potti.
(With inputs from TOI)
