Sabarimala Temple: High Court Orders SIT Probe into Weight Loss of Gold-Plated Idols

Following complaints of weight reduction in the gold-plated copper plates of the guardian deity idols at the Sabarimala Temple, the Kerala High Court has ordered an SIT (Special Investigation Team) inquiry. The gold-plated plates were sent to a Chennai-based company in 2019 for electroplating. Upon their return, the plates were found to have lost weight, raising suspicions of wrongdoing. The Kerala High Court has constituted the SIT to investigate the matter, after the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) vigilance team initially examined the case. The investigation aims to determine the cause of the weight loss and why it occurred. The expenses related to this investigation were borne by businessman Unnikrishnan Potty.