A special investigation unit in India has moved forward with charges against the former leader of the Travancore Devaswom Board and multiple other officials in relation to the theft of precious metal from ornaments adorning the presiding deities at Kerala's renowned Sabarimala temple. The Kerala High Court received the investigative findings on Monday, June 29, detailing a scheme that allegedly involved the systematic removal and replacement of gold coverings on sacred guardian deity statues, with the conspiracy reportedly extending across administrative ranks.
The investigation identified eight individuals implicated in the scheme, beginning with the late former executive officer Murari Babu, whose death occurred prior to the formal filing of charges. The roster of accused additionally includes PS Prashanth, the former president of the Travancore Devaswom Board; Kandaru Rajeevaru, the temple's chief priest; Unnikrishnan Potty, identified as a key financial backer; Pankaj Bhandari, proprietor of a Chennai-based enterprise called Smart Creations; A Ajikumar, a sitting member of the temple administration board; and Rajilal, who held the position of Thiruvabharanam Commissioner. This broad range of suspects suggests involvement at multiple institutional levels, from top administrative positions to operational staff.
The special investigation team uncovered evidence suggesting the alleged theft occurred during an initial transfer of the sacred Dwarapalaka idols to Chennai in 2019. According to the investigative report, the idols, originally encased in substantial gold plating applied in 1998, were transported under the facilitation of Unnikrishnan Potty. During this transport and processing, authorities allege that the thick original gold covering was deliberately stripped away and substituted with a substantially thinner layer, with the removed precious metal allegedly diverted for personal gain. To mask the inferior quality of the replacement work, the accused are said to have issued a fraudulent forty-year warranty document, a measure that proved ineffective when the substandard coating deteriorated within months, revealing the underlying copper beneath.
What distinguishes this case is the alleged two-phase nature of the conspiracy. According to the investigation, the accused attempted to conceal their initial theft by arranging a second transfer of the idols back to Chennai in 2025, purportedly for replating purposes. The timing and circumstances of this second transaction, the SIT argues, were calculated specifically to obscure the original 2019 misappropriation. This pattern suggests not merely opportunistic theft but a premeditated strategy to exploit administrative processes and institutional vulnerabilities systematically.
The investigative findings also reveal deliberate administrative deception in official documentation. Temple and board officials allegedly mischaracterized the exceptionally valuable gold-plated deity statues as simple copper plates in transit authorization papers, thereby circumventing the heightened security protocols and judicial oversight that would normally apply to temple treasures of significant religious and material value. Such misrepresentation in official records represents a separate breach of institutional governance and raises questions about administrative controls within the Travancore Devaswom Board during the period in question.
The progression of events following PS Prashanth's appointment as Travancore Devaswom Board president provides crucial context. The investigative report contends that Unnikrishnan Potty leveraged his relationship with the new administrator to propose fresh replating work on the idols, a request that would have seemed routine to someone unaware of the earlier alleged misconduct. This suggests a calculated effort by those knowledgeable about the original theft to engineer renewed access to the artifacts while benefiting from administrative transitions that might dilute institutional memory or oversight.
In parallel investigative work, the special investigation team has finalized its examination of the Sreekovil doorframes, sacred entrances to the inner sanctum, and filed comprehensive charges related to those artifacts. The team has requested additional time to conclude remaining investigative steps concerning the Dwarapalaka idols. This phased approach indicates the complexity of the overall case, which apparently encompasses multiple thefts or misappropriations across various temple treasures rather than constituting an isolated incident.
The Kerala High Court, upon reviewing the substantial evidence presented by the investigation unit, granted permission for the registration of a fresh criminal case specifically targeting the former temple board president and co-accused individuals regarding the alleged 2025 replating operation. The court's ruling establishes a framework for continued proceedings, with judicial guidance that the investigation agency should proceed according to legal requirements, including the potential filing of supplementary charges if additional evidence emerges against any accused party.
This case carries significant implications for Southeast Asia's temple governance and administrative accountability. The Travancore Devaswom Board administers one of the region's most visited Hindu temples, attracting millions of devotees annually who contribute financially to temple operations. The alleged conspiracy suggests systemic vulnerabilities in how such major religious institutions manage valuable assets and control access to sacred artifacts. For Malaysia and other Southeast Asian nations with significant Hindu populations and temple properties, the case underscores the necessity of implementing robust administrative controls, transparent documentation procedures, and segregation of duties in managing institutional treasures. The involvement of multiple board officials and administrators also raises questions about institutional culture and whether sufficient whistleblower protections existed to prevent the alleged misconduct from persisting across two alleged theft incidents separated by several years.
