In a significant development in the high-profile Sabarimala temple gold theft case, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has informed the Kerala High Court of serious procedural lapses and deliberate inaccuracies in the official documentation prepared by the temple authorities. The revelations came in a statement filed opposing the bail plea of former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president A Padmakumar.
Mahazar Prepared 'Irresponsibly', Gold Details Omitted
The SIT, in a statement filed by investigating officer S Sasidharan, asserted that the mahazar (scene inspection report) prepared in May 2019 was silent on the presence of gold cladding on the door frames of the sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum). This was despite the fact that witnesses present at the time had indicated the presence of gold to others, and the devaswom smith was also present during the mahazar preparation.
A close scrutiny led the SIT to conclude that the document was "deliberately prepared inaccurately and in a highly irresponsible manner." This key finding directly challenges the official record of the events leading up to the alleged theft.
No Tanthri Request or Divine Permission for Work, Says SIT
The investigation has further uncovered that there was no formal request from the temple's tanthri (head priest) for the gold plating work. The SIT stated that none of the official correspondence—including letters from the then executive officer Sudheesh Kumar, then devaswom commissioner N Vasu, or the TDB's order dated March 23, 2019—mentioned any such request from the tanthri.
Crucially, the SIT revealed that the tanthri's opinion was not sought in this matter, and no religious ritual of 'anujna' (seeking the deity's permission) was performed before commencing the work. Based on these facts, the SIT's statement in court strongly contested Padmakumar's claim that the repair and gold cladding were initiated on the tanthri's request.
Allegations Against Former TDB Chief
The SIT's statement levelled specific allegations against the former TDB president, A Padmakumar. It claimed that Padmakumar, despite knowing the door frames were gold-clad, made a handwritten correction in the note for the board meeting on March 19, 2019. He allegedly struck off the word 'pithala' (brass) and wrote 'chembu paalikal' (copper plates), instead of correctly recording them as gold-clad copper plates.
The SIT also provided context from a previous gold cladding done in 1998 by the UB Group. While no mahazar was prepared for that work, a company communication from October 15, 1998, clearly detailed the quantity of gold used on each item, highlighting a stark contrast in documentation.
Bail Pleas Adjourned, Prolonged Detention Cited
A Padmakumar, the eighth accused in the case concerning the alleged misappropriation of gold from the Sabarimala temple's inner sanctum door frames, has approached the High Court seeking bail. Apart from him, bail petitions have also been filed by Ballari-based jeweller Roddam Pandu Rangaiah Naga Govardhan and TDB deputy commissioner B Murari Babu.
The court had earlier rejected Murari Babu's bail plea on December 19, but he has approached the court again, citing prolonged detention. Considering all petitions, the bench of Justice A Badharudeen adjourned the hearings to January 12 for further consideration.
The SIT's latest submissions paint a picture of administrative negligence and possible intent to conceal, bringing the focus back on the conduct of the temple's managing body in one of Kerala's most sensitive investigative cases.
