Kerala HC orders SIT probe into Sabarimala gold theft row

Kochi: The Kerala High Court has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged discrepancies in the weight of gold in the Dwarapalaka idols of the Sabarimala temple.

The Court took notice of the alleged weight loss when considering a suo motu case initiated based on a report by the Special Commissioner, which stated that the Gold-Clad copper covering of the Dwarapalaka idols and the peedam (pedestal) on which the idols were fixed had been removed without prior intimation.

The Travancore Core Devaswom Board (TDB) had sent the items to Smart Creations in Chennai for electroplating with sponsorship from devotee Unnikrishnan Potty.

During the hearing, the Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice K V Jayakumar noted a decrease in the weight of the gold by around 4kg, after the idols were handed over to Smart Creations on an earlier occasion in 2019.

The Court had earlier appointed Justice K T Sankaran, former Judge of the Kerala High Court, to appraise all the valuables of the Sabarimala temple. It had permitted engagement of a jewel appraiser of proven expertise to conduct a thorough appraisal of all items in the strong room, as well as those recorded in the Thiruvabharanam Register and the items which have been gold-clad.

Earlier today, the Kerala Assembly was adjourned after the Opposition staged a strong protest over the incident, accusing the state government of protecting those involved. The opposition leader, V D Satheesan, alleged that both the state government and the Travancore Devaswom Board were aware of the theft but chose to suppress it.

The Court will issue an order stating further details regarding the SIT. The matter is next listed on October 10.
(With LiveLaw inputs)