The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] State secretariat announced its full support on Friday for a High Court-monitored investigation into the escalating controversy surrounding the alleged misappropriation of precious artefacts from the renowned Sabarimala Ayyappa temple. This includes serious allegations of private worship involving temple items and a dispute over gold coverings.
When reporters pointed out that CPI(M) leader A. Padmakumar served as the president of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) when the gold panels were removed for repairs in 2019, CPI(M) Kerala State secretary M.V. Govindan firmly stated that the party has no intention of shielding any individual found to be involved in wrongdoing.
Previously, TDB president P.S. Prasanth had indicated that TDB officials in 2019 appeared to have made an error in judgment by permitting private intermediaries to transport the temple’s gold coverings to Chennai for repairs. He emphasized that according to the TDB manual, such intricate repair work should ideally be conducted within the sacred confines of the temple itself.
Mr. Prasanth also addressed and refuted accusations from the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that a 4-kilogram discrepancy in gold weight was noted by the High Court upon the return of the coverings to the temple after their repair.
He clarified that the gilded coverings originally weighed 42 kg when they were generously donated to the temple by business tycoon Vijay Mallya in September 1998.
“The copper-gold overlay contained a mere 397 grams of gold,” Mr. Prasanth explained. “The majority of the 4 kilograms of metal lost during the refurbishment at the Chennai workshop was copper. The estimated actual loss of gold is relatively minor, less than 55 sovereigns, amounting to a maximum weight of half a kilogram.”
Mr. Prasanth confirmed that the TDB’s standing counsel in the High Court would formally request a comprehensive, judge-monitored investigation. This inquiry would span the entire timeline, from the initial receipt of the gold coverings in 1998 to their current state.
Broadening the Investigation’s Scope
He further elaborated that the investigation would delve into several critical aspects, including the delayed delivery of the gold coverings to the designated repair workshop and their alleged use for private worship in the homes of affluent and influential individuals. These points are expected to be central to the probe.
Mr. Prasanth also revealed that the inquiry would scrutinize claims that the gold coverings were suspiciously replaced with a brand-new, pure copper overlay when they were deposited at the Chennai workshop for repairs in 2019.
Moreover, Mr. Prasanth accused Unnikrishnan Potti, a key figure in the current controversy, of attempting to damage the reputation of the Global Ayyappa Sangamam by falsely claiming theft of gilded panels from the temple in 2019. He suggested that Potti had inadvertently implicated himself, as the “stolen panels” were subsequently recovered from his residence by TDB vigilance officials.
Adding to the discourse, Devaswom Board Minister V.N. Vasavan stated that the forthcoming investigation would also examine how individuals “like Mr. Potti” were allowed such extensive and unchecked influence within the Sabarimala temple’s affairs, seemingly operating as an unofficial, extrajudicial authority in public perception.