Kochi, India – October 8 – A group that runs the Sabarimala temple has asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to look into what it calls a serious gold‑theft scandal at the shrine.
Sabarimala Ayyappa Seva Samajam (SASS), a volunteer association for the temple, sent a letter to the Kerala Additional Chief Secretary (Home) today. The letter states that investigations carried out by the Devaswom Vigilance Unit or the Kerala State Police may not uncover the truth because those agencies could be influenced by the people who allegedly stole the gold.
“Only the CBI can conduct a fair, transparent and credible inquiry,” said SASS National Chairman S. J. R. Kumar. He said the theft is a “grave offence against the faith of millions of devotees and the sanctity of the Sabarimala shrine.”
The gold theft claim centers on the temple’s gold‑clad copper plates that were originally funded by businessman Vijay Mallya in 1998. In 2019, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) handed the plates to a private company, Smart Creations in Chennai, for “repair work.” Smart Creations is not an authorised temple restorer; it is a commercial electroplating plant.
When the plates returned, officials counted a loss of approximately 4.5 kg of gold, compared with the initial 42.8 kg. The Bandar’s report also says that original gold‑clad materials were replaced with ordinary gold‑plated copper sheets. In 2019, the Dwarapalaka panels were removed, left unaccounted for 39 days, and allegedly moved to locations in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka before being brought back.
SASS says the gold‑clad sheet was displayed in VIP homes during this period. “This shows the scope and brazenness of the conspiracy involving Devaswom officials, private handlers and external parties,” Kumar added.
Former Union Minister V. Muraleedharan, a BJP leader, has called for a CBI probe as well. He claims that the court has assigned an investigator under the chief minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, to look into the case. “Given that the alleged culprits are close to the chief minister, a local investigation is likely to be ineffective,” he told reporters. He also said that opposition parties in the state assembly, such as Congress and the CPM, are not taking the issue seriously.
The Travancore Devaswom Board has suspended B. Murari Babu, the deputy Devaswom commissioner of Haripad, over a false report related to the gold‑plating project.
The Sabarimala temple, one of India’s most visited pilgrimage sites, has thousands of devotees who travel each year to seek blessings. Any allegations of theft or corruption at the shrine echo across the country and spotlight the need for an impartial investigation.
Source: aninews
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