The TDB Vigilance report is expected to be handed over to the SIT formed as per the High Court’s directions to probe the alleged irregularities that led to reduction in the weight of gold-clad copper coverings of idols by over 4.5 kg since 2019
| Photo Credit: LEJU KAMAL
A day after recording the statements of officials of Chennai-based Smart Creation which electroplated the gold-clad copper coverings of the Dwarapalakas (guardian deity) idols in Sabarimala, the Travancore Devaswom Board’s (TDB) Vigilance and Security Wing submitted its report to the Kerala High Court on Friday (October 10, 2025).
The High Court has directed the handing over of the Vigilance report to the State Police Chief, who ought to direct the SIT to register a case regarding the reduction in weight of the gold-cladded copper coverings.
The report is expected to be handed over to the special investigation team (SIT) that was formed earlier this week as per the High Court’s directions to probe the alleged irregularities that led to reduction in the weight of gold-clad copper coverings by over 4.5 kg since 2019. The SIT is led by S. Sasidharan, SP, under the supervision of H. Venkitesh, Additional DGP.
The SIT can also probe aspects such as whether there were irregularities in the gold-cladding works done in the frames and about the 474.90 gram of gold that had been taken off the copper coverings prior to the electroplating work and which is reportedly yet to be accounted for.
The direction to form the SIT was earlier passed by a Bench of Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and Justice K.V. Jayakumar after the TDB’s Vigilance wing submitted an interim report on the matter.
The probe is in connection with the reduction in weight of the idols after they were sent to the firm in Chennai for electroplating by Unnikrishnan Potti.
Published – October 10, 2025 01:11 pm IST
