Sabarimala ‘theft’ row: Kerala Devaswom Minister alleges conspiracy

Kerala Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan on Monday (September 29, 2025) alleged an entrenched conspiracy, possibly with political undertones, behind the controversy centred on the alleged theft of two copper-gold-leaf-covered metal plaques donated to the Sabarimala temple in 2019.

Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, Mr. Vasavan said the circumstances surrounding the recovery of the objects from the house of the person who “donated” it to the temple were “mystifying” and warranted a detailed criminal investigation.

Mr. Vasavan said the donor, Unnikrishnan Potty, sparked a controversy after he alleged on live television that the plaques he had gifted to the temple as an offering in 2019 were missing. 

Mr. Vasavan said Mr. Potty’s explosive accusation, which sparked concern among lakhs of Ayyappa devotees around the world, prompted the Kerala High Court to order an investigation by the Vigilance wing of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB).

Subsequently, the unit recovered the artefacts from the house of Mr. Potty’s sister in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday. 

Mr. Vasavan said Mr. Potty’s statement hit headlines in the run-up to the TDB-sponsored Global Ayyappa Sanghamam, which was held at Pampa on September 20. He accused the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of hastily exploiting Mr. Potty’s “now-disproven” accusation as a political foil to portray the TDB as a “hive of thieves”.

Mr. Vasavan said the Congress, without any demonstrative evidence, hurriedly sought to politicise Mr. Potty’s “false accusation” by seeking an adjournment debate in the Assembly to cast a cloud of suspicion over the TDB’s integrity.

Mr. Vasavan said the TDB Vigilance wing would file a report in the High Court on Monday. “The government is waiting for the court’s ruling to proceed further in the matter”, he said.

‘Timing of row suspicious’

Meanwhile, TDB president P.S. Prasanth said the timing of the controversy was profoundly suspicious and appeared to be politically motivated.

“The sensational out-of-the-blue accusation erupted in the public domain five days before the Sanghamam. It provided sensational grist for the Congress and the BJP who opposed the conference for Sabarimala’s future development”, he said

Mr. Prasanth said the sponsor’s accusation had left the TDB in limbo till its Vigilance unit recovered the “stolen objects” from the residence of a close relative of the donor. 

“The TDB is awaiting the High Court’s decision. It will seek a criminal investigation and sue the accuser for libel and civil damages”, he added.