Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 9 (UNI) The controversy surrounding the alleged theft and substitution of gold claddings at the famed Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple has taken a new turn, with S. J. R. Kumar, National Chairman of the Sabarimala Ayyappa Seva Samajam (SASS) on Wednesday, urging the Kerala government to hand over the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
In a detailed letter to the Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Kumar alleged that the gold-plated copper claddings originally donated by industrialist Vijay Mallya in 1998 were misappropriated under the pretext of renovation works.
He claimed that the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) had entrusted the restoration to a private Chennai-based firm, Smart Creations, which, according to him, was not an authorised temple restorer.
As per the complaint, the gold claddings returned from Chennai weighed 4.541 kg less than the original 42.8 kg, suggesting that a portion of the original material had been replaced with ordinary gold-plated copper sheets during the 2019 repair works.
Kumar further alleged that the Dwarapalaka (gatekeeper) panels, removed for the works, remained unaccounted for 39 days and were believed to have been transported to locations outside Kerala — including Tamil Nadu and Karnataka — before being brought back.
The letter also named Unnikrishnan Potti, allegedly linked to the 2019 discrepancies, who was re-engaged in August 2025 to handle gold-clad Dwarapalaka idols without informing the High Court-appointed Sabarimala Special Commissioner.
Citing provisions of the Devaswom Manual, Kumar pointed out that gold-cladded materials are not permitted to be taken outside the temple premises.
He accused the authorities of bypassing tender procedures, mishandling temple valuables, and failing to maintain proper custody records, which he said pointed to “deliberate misconduct and collusion.”
“The sequence of events indicates possible complicity of the Travancore Devaswom Board and the Devaswom Department itself,” Kumar alleged, adding that any probe by Devaswom Vigilance or Kerala Police would lack impartiality.
The Kerala High Court, which has already taken suo motu cognisance of the matter, has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by an ADGP. However, Kumar insisted that only a neutral central agency like the CBI could ensure a transparent and credible investigation.
The complaint accuses those involved of offences including criminal breach of trust, cheating, misappropriation, theft, and conspiracy, punishable under Sections 403, 406, 409, 379, 420, and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The appeal has ignited widespread debate over accountability and transparency in temple administration, with the Ayyappa Seva Samajam urging the government to recommend a CBI probe without delay.
As the state government’s response is awaited, millions of Ayyappa devotees across the country are watching the developments closely, calling for justice and protection of the sacred property of Lord Ayyappa.
Missing temple gold: Ayyappa Seva Samajam seeks CBI probe
