7 months ago
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The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) Vigilance study has flagged large lapses successful the handling of golden from the Sabarimala Sreekovil successful 2019, noting that sending the gold-clad plates extracurricular the temple constituted a superior breach of protocol.
The report, based connected which the Kerala High Court directed the enactment of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to behaviour a elaborate probe, suggests that it is improbable the gold-clad plates of the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols could person been sent to Chennai for electroplating without the cognition of the past TDB members.
According to the TDB Manual, immoderate enactment involving temple valuables should beryllium carried retired wrong the temple premises nether supervision. Thiruvabharanams (sacred ornaments) are required to beryllium repaired nether the contiguous supervision of the Assistant Commissioner. These procedures, the study states, were ignored erstwhile the plates were handed implicit to sponsor Unnikrishnan Potti connected July 20, 2019. The plates were subsequently taken to Smart Creations successful Chennai and returned lone 49 days later.
“It should beryllium investigated whether determination was unit oregon absorption from committee members for this amerciable act,” the study stated.
The study besides noted that Mr. Potti, who sponsored respective gold-cladding works successful the temple, did not person immoderate imperishable root of income. As portion of the preliminary inquiry, the Vigilance examined Mr. Potti’s income taxation returns from 2017 to 2025 done his chartered accountant. The probe revealed that the repair and gold-plating of the temple’s door, attributed to Mr. Potti, were really funded by a Ballari-based businessman, Govardanan. Similarly, the gold-plating of the doorway frame, besides credited to Mr. Potti, was sponsored by different Bengaluru-based businessman, Ajikumar.
The Vigilance squad besides documented Mr. Potti’s contributions to the temple. In January 2025, helium sponsored assorted pujas and decorative works connected either broadside of the 18 beatified steps astatine Sabarimala. He besides contributed for the operation of a assistance astatine the Annadanamandapam and donated ₹6 lakh for Annadanam (free repast service). Earlier, successful 2017, helium had donated ₹8.2 lakh on with 17 tonnes of atom and 30 tonnes of vegetables to the temple.
The study identified lapses by 9 Devaswom officials who handed implicit the gold-clad plates of the Dwarapalaka idols to Mr. Potti successful 2019. Those named see erstwhile administrative serviceman Murari Babu, erstwhile enforcement serviceman D. Sudish Kumar, erstwhile caput S. Jayashree, adjunct technologist K. Sunil Kumar, administrative serviceman S. Sreekumar, erstwhile Thiruvabharanam Commissioners K.S. Baiju and R.J. Radhakrishnan, erstwhile enforcement serviceman V.S. Rajendraprasad, erstwhile administrative serviceman K. Rajendran Nair, and the past Deputy Devaswom Commissioner (Finance Inspection Wing).
