Kerala High Court Orders Inquiry Into Alleged 4Kg Gold Loss From Sabarimala Dwarapalaka Idols

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday (September 17) directed the Chief Vigilance and Security Officer(SP) to look into the alleged discrepancies regarding the weight of gold in the Dwarapalaka idols of Sabarimala temple.

The alleged loss of weight of gold came to light during the Court's intervention while considering a suo motu petition initiated on the basis of a report of the Special Commissioner stating that the gold platings from the idols were removed without prior intimation to it.

The Travancore Core Devaswom Board (TDB), with sponsorship from devotee Unnikrishnan Potty (7th respondent), had sent the items to Smart Creations (8th respondent) for electroplating. 

The Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and Justice K.V. Jayakumar had noted during the hearing that the weight of the gold had reduced by around 4kg after the idols were handed over to the 7th respondent on an earlier occasion, in 2019. 

It also observed orally: "We are of the view that the reduction of weight of the gold cladded copper plates, the handing over of the same to the 7th respondent...the delay in production of the gold-cladded copper plate before the 8th respondent, i.e., on 29/8/2019, the description of the gold-cladded copper plate in the mahazar on 19th and 20th July, 2019 as merely "copper plates" instead of "gold-cladded copper plates" all call for a proper and detailed inquiry at the hands of the Vigilance and Security Officer of the Travancore Devaswom. We, therefore, direct the Vigilance and Security Officer (Superintendent of Police) to engineer a detailed inquiry with respect to the above aspects and place a detailed report before us within a period of 3 weeks."

The Court further directed that the registers which were placed before the Court by the 5th respondent shall be returned for conducting a proper investigation. The TDB was directed to provide all sort of cooperation to the 5th respondent officer to ensure that the directions issued by it are taken forward and the truth of the matter is brought to light.

After looking at the registers produced, the Court came to know that the copper plates covering the Dwarapalakas were gold-cladded and installed pursuant to that sanction as early as 1999. Records from 2019 showed that Potty sought and obtained permission, at his own sponsorship, to undertake fresh gold-plating of the idols. It also recorded that twelve “copper plates,” weighing 25.4 kg were given to him on 19.07.2019 and two "peedams" weighing 17.4 kg were handed over on 20.07.2019. Thus, a total of 42.8kg entrusted to Potty and the same were taken by him to Smart Creations unaccompanied by Devaswom officials more than a month later on 29.08.2019. At this time, the total weight was 38.258 kg, with an unexplained loss of 4.541 kg. Upon re-plating, the increased weight was 38.653 kg, with an approximate loss of 4.147 kg from the original 42.800 kg.

Noting this, the Court observed:

"Astoundingly, the weight of the items re-fixed was not recorded at all. It is an elementary and prudent procedure that when such precious gold-cladded articles entrusted with precise weight specifications are removed for plating and subsequently returned, the weight upon reinstallation must be documented. The failure can be intentional as well to ensure that these aspects did not come to light. Needless to say the failure to note is a serious flaw and points to serious administrative lapses."

The Court had earlier directed the TDB to bring back the gold platings removed but later permitted the continuation of the repair works. It had suo motu impleaded Potty and Smart Creations and had sought production of all records relating to the repair works. It had also directed Superintendent of Police, the Chief Vigilance and the Security Officer to seize the entire records concerning the gold-plating/gold-cladding of the Dwarapalakas, the door lintel, the door panel, the Lakshmi Roopam and Kamanam, commencing from the date of the original cladding.

Pursuant to the same, three sets of mahazar documents were produced by the 5th respondent but it was stated that he could not trace out certain mahazars which might shed light on the gold cladding/plating of the copper plates covering the idols. It had given time to produce the other mahazars accordingly and to ascertain the presence of another set of dwarapalaka idols in the strong room in Aranmula. 

Case Title: Suo Motu v. State of Kerala and Ors.

Case No: SSCR No. 23 of 2025 

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