Sabarimala gold theft row: SIT probes, CBI calls, and Mallya link under scrutiny
Sabarimala gold theft row: SIT probes, CBI calls, and Mallya link under scrutiny
Kerala's Sabarimala gold theft controversy widens as the High Court orders an SIT probe into 30.3 kg of gold donated by Vijay Mallya, amid protests and governance questions.
The Sabarimala gold theft row has snowballed into a major political and religious controversy in Kerala, centered on alleged irregularities in the gold plating of the Dwarapalaka idols at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple. Police used water cannons to disperse BJP activists protesting what they describe as a weight reduction in the gold-plated coverings of the Dwarapalaka, the temple's guardian idols, during demonstrations in Kochi on October 9, 2025. The case began as a vigilance probe into the loss of temple gold and has now spiraled into calls for a court-monitored CBI probe and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) inquiry, drawing sharp exchanges between the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), the state government, and the Opposition. The spotlight has fallen on 30.3 kilograms of gold and 1,900 kilograms of copper donated in 1998 by industrialist Vijay Mallya for the temple's sanctum sanctorum and wooden carvings. During a Kerala High Court review, officials noticed a significant weight loss in the gold-plated coverings, prompting suspicions of theft and systemic irregularities within the TDB. TDB president PS Prasanth said the board's vigilance wing found lapses by nine officials, and action has already been taken against one of them, deputy Devaswom commissioner B Murari Babu. The remarks underline perceived governance gaps that have fed public outcry as the investigation broadens. On the legal front, the Crime Branch registered a case of 'misappropriation' related to Sabarimala temple artefacts, naming 11 persons as suspects. Investigators cite offences including confidence trickery, cheating, conspiracy, theft and possible violations of the Prevention of Corruption Act as part of the probe. As the court-ordered SIT takes shape and calls for CBI involvement intensify, Kerala residents await a transparent accounting of what happened to the temple's donated gold. The case has the potential to reshape temple governance and political debate in Kerala, with implications for future management of religious sites.
