Kozhikode: Even as the Sabarimala gold scam continues to stir controversy, two temples under the Malabar Devaswom Board in Kozhikode district have come under scrutiny over missing gold ornaments.

A complaint was filed by the Neeleswaram Siva Temple committee near Mukkom, under the Malabar Devaswom Board, after a major portion of its gold offerings was found missing. According to the complaint, 26 crescent-shaped gold pieces, 10 gold thaalis, and one thaali mani are unaccounted for, while four thaalis were found to be fake. The gold items currently recovered together weigh 1 gram and 9.35 milligrams. The missing items were of much higher weight. One crescent-shaped piece offered by woman devotee alone weighed about 4 grams.

The complainants said the previous verification, carried out by the earlier committee, had recorded 32 crescent-shaped gold thaalis, two golden bindis, and one thaali mani. A copy of that list was attached to the complaint filed on October 4 by committee president Sunith K K and secretary Santhosh. The committee decided to approach the police after conducting a fresh verification of the locker contents on the same day.

The inspection was held in the presence of former trustee board chairmans Manu Prasad and Surendran, members of the current committee, and executive officer Muraleedharan. The complainants also alleged that the previous temple trustee board chairman had resigned in August 2025 and dissolved the panel following the detection of irregularities. Mukkom police confirmed that they had received the complaint from the Neeleswaram temple and said a preliminary investigation is underway.

Meanwhile, at the Balussery Kotta Vettakkorumakan Temple, about 20 sovereigns of gold have reportedly gone missing from the strongroom. The irregularity was detected on October 3, when Devaswom officials found that five gold ornaments offered to the deity had disappeared under mysterious circumstances. The discrepancy came to light during a routine stock verification held in the presence of a Devaswom Board auditor — the first such inspection in nearly one and a half years.