PUZZLED | 'Double' coating on idols already clad in gold in 2019 Probe ordered into 4kg loss from idols

The Kerala High Court has asked the Travancore Devaswom Board's vigilance wing to file a detailed report within three weeks into the alleged loss of about 4 kilograms of gold from the gold-cladded copper plates fitted on the Dwarapalaka idols at Sabarimala temple.

- HD Bureau

The bench, comprising Justices V Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar, also directed the Devaswom Board to cooperate fully with the inquiry.

The allegation emerged during a suo motu hearing based on a report by the Sabarimala Special Commissioner, which noted several discrepancies: gold-cladded copper plates had been handed over to sponsor Unnikrishnan Potty in 2019 under documents labelled merely as "copper plates"; weight differences since then; and the absence of clear inventories or records.