Investigation Begins Into Sabarimala Flagpole Gold Theft During UDF Regime

Thiruvananthapuram: The Vigilance has initiated a preliminary investigation into the theft of gold from flagpole at the Sabarimala temple in 2017 during the regime of UDF-led Devaswom Board. Vigilance Director Manoj Abraham has issued an order to form an investigation team to look into the incident, which involved the collection of large sums of money and gold from several individuals under the pretext of constructing a golden flagpole.

As part of the probe, authorities are considering questioning Ajay Tharayil, former board member and Congress leader, as well as Thantri Kandararu Rajeevaru. If any conspiracy is uncovered, both individuals could face charges.

The investigation stems from a report submitted by the Devaswom Vigilance and Special Investigation Team (SIT), which stated that gold and money were misused in connection with the replacement of the flagpole. Following the revelations, the Kerala High Court ordered a vigilance investigation into the matter. The court directed the team to examine all documents related to the flagpole reconstruction since 2016 and submit a detailed report to the Vigilance Director within 30 days.

The flagpole replacement project was led by Prayar Gopalakrishnan, the president of the temple’s administrative committee, and Ajay Tharayil. The court observed that proper procedures were not followed when replacing the flagpole, particularly with respect to retaining the gold and valuables from the old pole. On March 22, 2017, 9.161 kg of gold was purchased from customs for the new flagpole, while 412.010 grams of gold was donated by believers. However, only 9340.200 grams of gold was used in the new flagpole, and the whereabouts of the remaining 232.81 grams are currently unknown.

The investigation has also uncovered that 326.440 grams of gold, including gold biscuits, were donated by an actor, but no receipts were issued for these donations. The handling of the gold violated regulations, and there were serious concerns about the transparency and accountability in the process.

In 2017, the McDowell Group dismantled the old, gold-plated flagpole, and the reconstruction project was later funded by Hyderabad Phoenix Infrastructure Limited, with an estimated cost of Rs 3,20,30,000. The Devaswom Vigilance report also revealed that an account was opened in the name of the Devaswom Executive Officer at Dhanalakshmi Bank, Pathanamthitta, to receive donations for the project.