The controversy:

1. Allegations of gold theft in Sabarimalai Temple.
2. Kerala High Court directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate a possible larger conspiracy and scrutinize the role of the temple board.

Arrests made:

1. Unni Krishnan Potti, in charge of gold-plating work at the temple arrested for allegedly siphoning off gold in 2019.
2. Murari Babu, a former administrative officer of the temple was taken into custody on charges of theft, misappropriation, and procedural lapses.

What SIT revealed so far:

Significant irregularities, including replacement of 1.5 kg of gold cladding with mere 361 grams of gold plating.

Political reactions:

1. Congress and BJP have demanded the resignation of the Devaswom Board minister, dissolution of temple board and accused state government of shielding those involved.
2. BJP leaders have called for a central investigation, expressing distrust in the Kerala police.
3. Other demands include withdrawal of government control over temples and large scale temple demands.

The Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government in Kerala is grappling with a major controversy involving the alleged theft of gold from the revered Sabarimala Temple, one of India’s wealthiest religious institutions. The allegations have sparked widespread outrage and prompted the Kerala High Court to expand the scope of its investigation into what it has termed a potential “heist and plunder” of the temple’s riches. The High Court has directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted to probe the matter, to investigate a possible larger conspiracy and scrutinize the role of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which oversees the temple’s administration, from top officials to lower-level functionaries.

The court’s strong language, describing the incident as a “heist,” has intensified scrutiny on the state government ahead of the 2026 assembly elections.Two key arrests have been made in connection with the case. Unni Krishnan Potti, the chief sponsor entrusted with gold-plating work at the temple, was arrested for allegedly siphoning off gold during a 2019 gold-plating project. Ironically, Potti was the whistleblower who initially reported the missing gold, only to later face accusations of theft and misappropriation. 

The second arrest involves Murari Babu, a former administrative officer of the TDB, who was taken into custody on October 22, 2025, on similar charges of theft, misappropriation, and procedural lapses. Babu is said to have been implicated in two FIRs—one related to the gold-plating of the temple’s idols and sanctum sanctorum frames, and another concerning the use of copper plates mislabeled as gold-plated.

The SIT’s probe has revealed significant irregularities, including the replacement of 1.5 kg of gold cladding on the temple’s “dwarapalakas” (door guardians) with mere 361 grams of gold plating, a move allegedly designed to obscure the theft. The High Court has emphasized the need for custodial interrogation to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy, with an application for Babu’s custody to be submitted by October 29, 2025. The court also suggested that the case may fall under the Prevention of Corruption Act, given the involvement of public officials.

 Political reactions have been swift and scathing. The opposition Congress and BJP have demanded the resignation of the Devaswom Board minister and the dissolution of the TDB, accusing the LDF government of shielding those involved. BJP leaders have called for a central investigation, expressing distrust in the Kerala police. Meanwhile, the CPI, an LDF ally, has pledged full support for the investigation but faces pressure to address allegations of systemic corruption within the board.

Prominent Hindu organizations with longstanding ties to Sabarimala remarked  that the scandal involves senior TDB officials and described the accused as mere “pawns” in a larger conspiracy orchestrated by the board’s leadership. They observed that the High Court has explicitly implicated higher officials and the matter was is not just about Unni Krishnan Potti or Murari Babu. They demanded that the masterminds must be held accountable; highlighting the court’s nine-point directive that points to systemic failures.

Adding to the controversy, an audit report from 2020 highlighted procedural lapses at the Guruvayur temple, suggesting the issue of mismanagement may extend beyond Sabarimala. An RSS leaning author criticized the state’s control over Hindu temples, arguing that those without faith in the religion should not manage sacred institutions. He called for scrapping the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Act and returning the temple management to the Hindu community. The scandal has reignited debates over state control of Hindu temples, with calls for central legislation to address the issue. As devotees and opposition parties demand justice, questions linger: Is the Sabarimala theft an isolated incident, or does it point to a broader pattern of mismanagement in Kerala’s temple administration? With the investigation ongoing, the LDF government faces mounting pressure to restore faith in its governance of sacred institutions.