Sabarimala Gold Theft Case Explained: How Did Gold From the Temple Go Missing?

The Special Investigation Team probing the alleged theft of gold from Kerala’s Sabarimala temple arrested former Travancore Devaswom Board president PS Prasanth on Thursday, July 23, marking the latest development in a case involving temple administrators, priests, private sponsors and a Chennai-based electroplating company.

Investigators are examining Prasanth’s alleged role in the TDB’s 2025 decision to send gold-plated temple panels to Smart Creations for repairs. The SIT suspects that “non-existent defects” may have been cited to return the artefacts to the same company accused of involvement in an “earlier pilferage” in 2019. Prasanth is among several former board officials and office-bearers accused in the case.

What Is the Sabarimala Gold Theft Case?

The case concerns the alleged misappropriation of gold from the cladding covering the Dwarapalaka sculptures and panels near the entrance to the temple’s sanctum sanctorum.

The artefacts had been covered using gold donated by businessman Vijay Mallya in the late 1990s. In 2019, they were removed and handed to sponsor Unnikrishnan Potti for repair and replating at Smart Creations in Chennai.

Investigators allege that temple records incorrectly described the gold-clad objects as copper plates. Kerala High Court filings state that officials who knew the artefacts were gold-clad failed to properly document, weigh or supervise their removal and return.

How Did the Alleged Discrepancies Come to Light?

The controversy emerged after Potti publicly claimed that an artefact he had donated to the temple had been missing since 2019. The TDB’s vigilance wing later recovered the object from the home of one of his relatives, widening suspicion over how Sabarimala’s valuables had been handled.

An internal examination subsequently found that the consignment returned from Chennai weighed approximately 4.54 kg less than when it had been handed over. Smart Creations reportedly said gold had been extracted from the alloy through a chemical stripping process during the refurbishment.

What Happened to the Gold-Plated Temple Artefacts?

According to investigators, the artefacts remained outside the temple for 39 days before reaching Smart Creations. The SIT alleges that they were taken to the homes and establishments of wealthy devotees in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai for private worship in return for payments.

Court records say no TDB official accompanied the artefacts during parts of their movement, and their weight was not properly recorded when they were returned and reinstalled.

The SIT also alleges that only limited quantities of fresh gold were applied during replating, while gold stripped from the original coverings was left unaccounted for. Gold recovered during the investigation is being examined to determine its origin, quantity and purity.

Who Is Investigating the Case?

The investigation is being conducted by an SIT constituted under the supervision of the Kerala High Court. It has registered separate cases connected to the Dwarapalaka coverings and the gold-plated frames near the sanctum entrance.

The accused include Potti, Smart Creations owner Pankaj Bhandari, former TDB presidents and officials, and former Sabarimala Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru.

The SIT also sought scientific assistance to compare the original gold coverings with the replated artefacts. The Kerala High Court said in July that the final report from the CSIR-National Metallurgical Laboratory had been received and directed investigators to complete the probe after analysing its findings.

What Role Does the Travancore Devaswom Board Play?

The TDB is the statutory body responsible for administering Sabarimala and hundreds of other temples in southern Kerala. It is the legal custodian of the shrine’s properties and is expected to maintain records, supervise repairs and ensure that valuables are protected.

The SIT alleges that board officials facilitated the removal of the artefacts, inaccurately recorded their composition and failed to monitor the replating work. The 2025 decision to resend the panels to Smart Creations is also under investigation, particularly because the company had reportedly issued a 40-year warranty after the earlier work.

Why Has the Case Become a Political Controversy?

The arrests of former TDB presidents and Left-linked office-bearers have allowed opposition parties to question temple administration under previous CPI(M)-led LDF governments.

The Congress-led UDF and the BJP have accused the former government and TDB leadership of failing to protect sacred assets and demanded accountability for the alleged loss.

The LDF, meanwhile, has faced pressure over whether political appointments and weak oversight enabled the artefacts to leave the temple without adequate documentation. With the SIT nearing the conclusion of its investigation, its final report to the Kerala High Court could determine whether the alleged discrepancies resulted from administrative negligence or an organised conspiracy to misappropriate temple gold.