The Kerala High Court on Monday directed the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate alleged irregularities concerning the reduced weight of gold-plated copper plates of the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols at the Sabarimala temple.
A Division Bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar passed the order after the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) Vigilance team submitted an interim report following its preliminary inquiry.
In 2019, the Dwarapalaka idols were sent to a Chennai-based firm for electroplating, sponsored by businessman Unnikrishnan Potty. Subsequently, discrepancies were noticed in the weight of the gold-clad copper plates, prompting the High Court to direct the TDB Vigilance to investigate the matter.
As part of the inquiry, the Vigilance team interrogated Potty over two days before submitting its interim findings to the court.
The SIT will be headed by Superintendent of Police S Sasidharan, known for leading complex investigations including the 2022 Elanthoor human sacrifice case. The Crime Branch chief, Additional Director General of Police H Venketesh, will supervise the SIT’s functioning. Cyber Police officials are also part of the team.
According to government sources, the state government suggested the names of the officers to the High Court. The Bench ordered that the investigation must be conducted confidentially, with periodic reports to be filed directly before the court.
Last week, the High Court had ordered a comprehensive inventory of all valuables, including gold, at Sabarimala. This exercise is being carried out under the supervision of retired Justice K T Sankaran.
Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan welcomed the court’s decision to form an SIT, stating that the probe would ensure transparency and accountability in temple administration.
