• Source:JND
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Sabarimala Gold-Plating Row: The Kerala High Court on Monday ordered an investigation into the alleged discrepancies in the gold-plated copper coverings of the Dwarapalaka idols at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by H Venkatesh, ADGP (law and order) has been formed to carry out the probe within six weeks. The SIT has also been asked to investigate the role of Unnikrishnan Potty, who sponsored the gold plating, and the other officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB).

A massive controversy erupted after the Sabarimala special commissioner on September 9 submitted a report to the court stating that gold-plated copper coverings of the idols were removed without any judicial approval. In its report to the court, the special commissioner flagged that gold-plated copper coverings were transported to a facility in Chennai without any prior information.

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The bench, upon examining the matter, found that there was a difference of 4.541 kg in the weight of the copper coverings after the gold-plating process in 2019. Earlier, the chief vigilance and security officer stated that a letter to the TDB revealed that a total of 1.564 kg of gold was used for the two Dwarapalakas, and 30.291 kg of gold was utilised for the entire gold-cladding project.

The court stated that the idols handed over by the board to Potty had been plated with 1.564 kg of gold, adding that it could have been "copper plates". The court also stated that there was a possibility of disposal of the original gold-clad idols for monetary consideration. Apart from this, the court also flagged that Potty had even written a letter to the TDB president, seeking permission to use the remaining gold left in the process for a girl's marriage.

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"Unmistakably demonstrated the alarming manner in which certain devaswom officials had acted in concert with Potty, betraying both the sanctity of temple property and the trust reposed in them by devotees," the court pointed out.