శబరిమల స్వర్ణ కుంభకోణం Sabari Gold Theft Part _1

Описание: The Sabarimala gold theft conspiracy represents a significant breach of trust involving the misappropriation of sacred assets at the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa. The controversy centers on the disappearance of several kilograms of gold donated by industrialist Vijay Mallya and the alleged organized siphoning of these treasures by temple officials and private contractors.

The Original Offering (1998–1999)
In 1998, Vijay Mallya donated approximately 30–32 kg of 22-carat Swiss gold and 1,900 kg of copper to gold-plate the temple’s sanctum sanctorum (sreekovil). Official records recovered years later specify that 1,564.190 grams of gold were used for the Dwarapalaka idols (guardian deities), 2,519.760 grams for the temple doors and doorframes, and 4,302.660 grams for the eight pillars and side slabs. These items were designed to last for decades, with a 40-year warranty on the plating.

The 2019 Organized Theft
The conspiracy took root in 2019 when the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) decided to repair the gold-clad idols and frames. Contrary to the Devaswom Manual, which requires such work to be done within the temple premises (Sannidhanam), the items were sent to Smart Creations in Chennai. During this process, officials recorded the gold-clad panels as "mere copper plates" in official registers.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) revealed that the gold was chemically extracted from the copper base at the private workshop in Chennai. The items were then re-plated with a thin, inferior layer of gold—amounting to only 394 grams in some cases—and returned to the temple to avoid detection. When the items were returned in September 2019, they weighed 4.54 kg less than when they left (dropping from 42.8 kg to 38.258 kg), yet TDB officials failed to record this weight discrepancy.

Discovery and Judicial Intervention (2025)
The theft remained hidden for seven years until 2025, when the plating on the pedestals (peedams) began to fade, exposing the nickel base. When the TDB attempted to re-entrust the work to the same middleman, Unnikrishnan Potty, without open bidding or court consent, the Kerala High Court intervened.

A court-monitored investigation led to the recovery of 420 pages of missing files hidden in the TDB headquarters. These records proved that officials were fully aware the items were gold-clad when they were later misrepresented as copper. The SIT also recovered 576 grams of gold from raids in Ballari and Bengaluru, as well as a gold-coated pedestal hidden at the home of Potty’s relative.

Key Figures and Arrests
The investigation identified the theft as an "organized operation" involving senior officials and private jewellers. Key arrests include:
Unnikrishnan Potty: Prime accused and sponsor who acted as a middleman.
A. Padmakumar: Former TDB President and CPM leader, accused of facilitating the conspiracy.
N. Vijayakumar: Former TDB member who confessed to signing documents on the "explicit instructions" of Padmakumar.
Pankaj Bhandari: CEO of Smart Creations, where the gold was allegedly extracted.
Govardhan: Ballari jeweller who allegedly bought the stolen gold.

The High Court has since appointed retired Justice K.T. Sankaran to conduct a comprehensive, digitized inventory of all temple valuables to prevent further pilferage. The scandal has sparked a massive political storm, with demands for a CBI probe and increased transparency in temple administration.
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