The Kerala High Court has ordered a vigilance inquiry into the alleged disappearance of over 4.5 kg of gold from the idols of the Dwarapalakas at the Sabarimala Ayyappan Temple.
Taking up the matter suo motu, a bench comprising Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K.V. Jayakumar expressed serious concern over the “alarming discrepancy” in the weight of the gold-plated copper plates adorning the idols.
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According to court records, when the plates were removed for re-plating in 2019, they weighed 42.8 kg. However, by the time they were handed over to a Chennai-based firm for the gold-plating work, their weight had dropped to 38.258 kg — showing a shortfall of 4.54 kg of gold.
The court has directed a comprehensive vigilance probe into the matter to determine how the discrepancy occurred and to fix responsibility.
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