00:00Sabrimala's chief grief has been arrested in a gold pep case.
00:04As lakhs of devotees arrive at Sabrimala for the Makaravillakh season,
00:09waiting for the secret sighting of the Makarajyoti,
00:12the Lord Ayappa Temple finds itself at the centre of a controversy that has unsettled Kerala.
00:20Allegations of missing gold from the temple have gone far beyond a criminal probe.
00:25They have opened up a wider debate on faith,
00:28institutional responsibility and political accountability.
00:32The controversy traces back to restoration work carried out on gold-plated copper structures at the temple.
00:39This includes the Dwarapalaka idols and portions of the Shri Kogel.
00:44Former temple priest Unnikrishnan Putti,
00:47who was entrusted with repair and maintenance, is now the prime accused.
00:52Investigators allege that gold was misappropriated during the restoration process.
00:58Possibly removed under the cover of authorised work, shaking the trust of devotees.
01:05The materials involved carry a long history.
01:08They date back to 1998,
01:10when industrialist Vijay Malaya donated around 32 kilograms of gold
01:14and nearly 1,900 kilograms of copper for gold-plating the Sri Kovir roof, Tadi Gakkudam and the sacred steps.
01:22The project, valued at about 18 crore rupees, was executed under the supervision of the Travancore Davis Home Board.
01:30In 2019, decorative panels and sacred coverings were removed for restoration and later returned.
01:38At the time, no objections were raised.
01:42The issue resurfaced in October 2025.
01:45A vigilance inspection by the Travancore Davis Home Board conducted following directions from the Kerala High Court,
01:52flagged discrepancies in the weight of certain gold-plated panels when compared with earlier records.
01:59Laboratory tests later confirmed a reduction in gold content.
02:04Acting on these findings, the High Court ordered a detailed probe and constituted a special investigation team.
02:12Once the SIT took charge, the inquiry moved from internal review to a full criminal investigation.
02:18According to the SIT, gold-plated panels were removed from the temple and sent to a metal processing unit near Chennai, supposedly for repairs.
02:30Investigators allege that gold was chemically separated from the alloy at the unit.
02:36The factory owner was arrested, followed by a jeweller from Balari in Karnataka, who allegedly purchased the extracted gold.
02:44The SIT is also examining whether altered or replica panels were returned to the temple.
02:52As the probe widened, focus shifted from individual wrongdoing to administrative oversight.
02:59Several senior officials of the Travancore Davis Home Board were arrested,
03:04including former Administrative Officer Murari Babu,
03:07former Executive Officer Sudhish Kumar,
03:10and former Commissioner for Sacred Ornaments, K.S. Baiju.
03:16Their arrest strengthened the view that such alleged theft could not have occurred without official lapses.
03:23A major political development came on November 11th with the arrest of former Davis Home Board President N. Vasu, a CPM leader.
03:31The SIT alleges that Vasu authorised the removal of a gold-plated sheet for electroplating in 2019
03:38and that it was recorded as copper in the official documents and in the Mahasar on his instructions.
03:45Investigators also claim he was aware that additional temple gold remained with the accused after renovation work,
03:53but did not ensure its recovery.
03:55So far, two FIRs have been registered.
03:59One relates to the alleged theft of gold from the Dwarapalaka idols.
04:04The second concerns irregularities in the gold-plating of the temple door.
04:09Investigators have seized 576 grams of gold,
04:14400 grams from a jeweler in Balari,
04:17and 176 grams from Putti's residence in Bengaluru.
04:21Officials believe this represents only a small fraction of the gold allegedly misappropriated.
04:29The case took on greater sensitivity with the arrest of senior Tanuri Gandharara Rajivar,
04:35a member of the Tadaman Matham family which has led Sabrimala rituals for generations.
04:42Rajivar is the first surveying Tanuri to be arrested in connection with the case.
04:46Now, in a remand report filed on January 9th, 2026,
04:51the SIT accused him of criminal conspiracy and misuse of position,
04:56alleging that sacred coverings were dismantled without proper checks
05:00and that prescribed rituals were bypassed.
05:04The SIT has invoked provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act,
05:09treating the Tanuri as a public servant,
05:11citing the honorarium he receives from the Devas Home Board.
05:15With the arrest spanning priests, officials and political figures,
05:20the issue soon turned political.
05:22Opposition parties accused the LDF government of administrative failure
05:26and demanded accountability from the Devas Home Minister, VN Vasawan.
05:32The BJP intensified its attack,
05:34arguing that responsibility for safeguarding temple assets
05:38rests with the Travancore, Devas Home Board and the government.
05:42State BJP President Rajiv Chandrasekhar said accountability appeared
05:48to stop at priests and middle-level officials,
05:51while political responsibility remained unaddressed.
05:56He announced that the BJP would observe Sabrimala Samarakshan Deepam
06:00on Makar Villa Day to highlight concerns over temple administration and transparency.
06:06Former BJP State President K. Surendran also questioned
06:10what he described as selective action in the investigation.
06:14He pointed to the absence of arrests from former Devas Home Minister,
06:19Kadakampalli Surendran and Senior Officer,
06:22P.S. Prasant,
06:24despite statements allegedly made by the crime accused.
06:28Surendran further argued that the Tanuri's role
06:30was limited to ritual observances and that control over the Devas Home,
06:36Bhandaram rested entirely with the Travancore Devas Home Board.
06:40Taking the allegations further,
06:42Surendran raised questions over a photograph
06:44showing crime accused only Krishnan Putti
06:47and Balari-based jeweler Govardhan
06:50with Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.
06:53He claimed that Congress leaders
06:55had failed to offer a convincing explanation.
06:58Surendran also referred to allegations
07:01linking members of the Gandhi family
07:03to firms dealing in antique idols in Italy
07:06and said senior Congress leaders,
07:09including Ramesh Chenithala and leader of the opposition,
07:13B.D. Sathisan had not provided clear answers
07:16despite earlier remarks about possible international dimensions of the case.
07:22BJP leaders, however, have maintained
07:24that the party is not defending any individual named in the case.
07:28But it is seeking a full and impartial investigation.
07:32One that fixes responsibility across political,
07:36administrative and institutional levels.
07:39As the SIT continues its probe,
07:41the Sablimala gold theft case has become a larger test.
07:46For deputies, it raises troubling questions
07:49about the protection of sacred property.
07:51For the state, it is a measure of whether accountability
07:55will stop with individuals
07:57or extend to the systems
08:00entrusted with safeguarding
08:02one of India's most revered temples.
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