The High Court Devaswom Bench has directed the special investigation team to keep the ongoing probe strictly confidential and to ensure that no information is leaked.

The court’s order relates back to 2019, when gold-lined copper plates were taken down by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB). The issue escalated after Unnikrishnan Potti claimed that two gold-plated panels donated to the Sabarimala Temple in 2019 were missing from the strongroom, just ahead of the TDB-sponsored Global Ayyappa Sangamam event.

Recently, the TDB vigilance recovered the “missing” items; however, allegations surfaced that around 5 kilograms had been lost from the plates during this period.

Kerala Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan stated that the TDB vigilance will submit its preliminary report to the High Court on October 8. Speaking at a press conference, he said, “Today, the opposition staged a big, futile effort to create a controversy. Based on the High Court’s directive, the Devaswom Vigilance is conducting an investigation. The preliminary report will be submitted to the court tomorrow (October 6).”

On October 5, the TDB vigilance recorded the statement of Unnikrishnan Potti, a former helper and sponsor of the gold-plating works at Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple. He was questioned for nearly three hours at the TDB Vigilance headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram. After the session, Potti left without giving clear responses to the media. When pressed, he remarked, “Don’t I have freedom as an individual? Everything will be proven before the High Court. Don’t I have the right to move freely? The truth will prevail.”

The inquiry stems from allegations that several gold-plated panels removed from the temple in 2019 and 2025 for restoration at workshops in Hyderabad and Chennai were mishandled. Discrepancies were reported in the weight and gold content of the panels.

The controversy reignited after the Kerala High Court ordered the immediate return of the gold-plated panels taken for repairs and criticised the TDB for violating procedural norms by not informing the court-appointed Sabarimala Special Commissioner.

Both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have announced state-wide agitations starting today. They have been demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, monitored by the High Court, into the alleged irregularities.

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