Opinion Gold theft row | Make Sabarimala a South Indian pilgrimage that works

In rapid succession, Sabarimala has confronted a cascade of uncomfortable facts. A High Court–appointed SIT has made arrests in the tampering of the dwarapālaka plates; the principal ‘sponsor’ was remanded in police custody; and the Enforcement Directorate joined the probe — prompting court-supervised strongroom checks and even the retrieval of plates sent out for ‘repairs’. The court’s concern is specific: a discrepancy of about 4.54 kg of gold after the idols were re-plated in 2019, with documentation gaps that should never have existed.

What the FIRs say — why it matters

The investigation now spans two FIRs.

In one, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has been arrayed as the eighth accused; in the other, the 2019 TDB members have been named as accused, alongside TDB staff and contrac