The Kerala High Court, while hearing a Sabarimala-related case on September 28, ordered the preparation of an inventory of valuables kept in the strong room of the Sabarimala shrine. The case concerned the alleged loss of gold from the gold-plated copper plates covering the ‘Dwarapalaka idols’ (guardians of the doors) of the temple.
The Court observed that it was high time a proper and accurate inventory was prepared of all valuables at Sabarimala temple. The Thiruvabharana (precious ornaments of the deity) register and other related documents are expected to undergo an in camera enquiry, covering all precious articles stored in the strong rooms. The Court ruled that the entire process could be overseen by a retired district judge, with assistance from TDB officials and the Tiruvabharanam Commissioner. The order was issued by a Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan and Justice K.V. Jayakumar.
The Court expressed serious concern over the gaps found in the records maintained by the Tiruvitamcoor Devaswom Board (TDB) regarding the temple’s precious articles. The Bench stated that it was “constrained to issue such directions as the registers maintained by the TDB do not reveal the handing over of the valuables (the Dwarapalakas) to the sponsors, nor whether the same were returned, their value, etc.”
Although the Court has mandated the involvement of a retired district judge, it has not specified who will take up this assignment.
The suo motu case arose from allegations that the TDB had removed the gold coverings and entrusted them to ‘Smart Creations’, a Chennai-based firm, for repairs under the sponsorship of devotee Unnikrishnan Potti. A few days earlier, another Bench had found:
The decrease in the weight of the golden layers was likely the result of fraud.
The transfer of golden layers in 2019 to Tamil Nadu was suspicious.
Their weight was not recorded in the mahazar when returned, reflecting a serious administrative lapse.
No TDB representative accompanied the sponsor when the items were taken for repairs.
The articles remained in the sponsor’s custody for one month and nine days.
Smart Creations returned the golden layers with reduced weight, which was deemed beyond justification.
The weight of the metal had been 42 kg and 800 g when taken to Smart Creations in Chennai, but reduced to 38 kg and 258 g when returned after one month and nine days. The Court made this observation after scrutinising the documents thoroughly. The Devaswom Chief Vigilance and Security Officer (Superintendent of Police) has been assigned to carry out the investigation. The Court stressed that the truth must come out, and that details of the Dwarapalaka idols kept in the strong room be reported by 30 September.
The Court warned that failures in proper documentation would not be tolerated.
The current Bench echoed the same concerns regarding the weight loss, estimated at nearly Rs 5.5 crores. The Court had already ordered a probe into the matter on September 17. On September 29, the Chief Vigilance Officer submitted a comprehensive report.
The report revealed that certain gold-plated items were found concealed in the residence of Mini, the sister of Unnikrishnan Potti, and were seized during a search. The Court found this development deeply troubling, particularly since there were no corresponding entries in the TDB mahazars to prove the items had been formally entrusted to Potti.
The Court directed the Chief Vigilance and Security Officer (Superintendent of Police) to continue the probe while maintaining strict secrecy, with details not to be revealed even to TDB officers. The vigilance report also highlighted anomalies in the TDB registers, including missing entries in the Thiruvabharanam diary, inconsistent documentation of ornaments offered by devotees, and unrecorded removals of such ornaments and valuables for repair.
The Court insisted that the enquiry not be confined to Unnikrishnan Potti alone. It noted that the TDB registers lacked accuracy and stressed the need for proper bookkeeping of all valuables in the temple’s strong rooms. The retired district judge, with assistance from a professional valuer, will prepare a complete inventory, recording the quantity, quality, and value of each item, ensuring accurate reflection of temple assets. The Court also sanctioned the reinstallation of the repaired gold-plated coverings on the Dwarapalaka idols.
The gold plates were originally installed in 1999 and replaced in 2019 with a 40-year warranty. However, defects appeared within six years, prompting the repair works now under judicial scrutiny.
The present fiasco highlights the state of affairs within the TDB under political control, sparking a blame game. Authorities have sought to pin responsibility on the assistant of Unnikrishnan Potti.
V. Muraleedharan, BJP leader and former Union Minister, criticised the TDB and the CPM which controls it. He said the TDB had lost its credibility, welcomed the High Court’s intervention, and demanded the resignation of the TDB President and the Devaswom Minister. BJP leader P.K. Krishnadas accused the authorities of attempting to sabotage the Sabarimala pilgrimage.
