Amid the controversy surrounding the alleged gold theft at the Sabarimala temple and mounting scrutiny over the functioning of the Travancore Devaswom Board, a confidential report submitted by Kerala Director General of Police Ravada A Chandrasekhar has reportedly flagged serious security lapses and mismanagement of valuables at the historic Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, as reported in OnManorama.
The report, dated 15 May 2026, was submitted to the Kerala Home Department through the State Police Chief’s office. It referred to intelligence findings regarding missing valuables, alleged procedural violations, and irregularities involving temple security arrangements.
According to the report, approximately 78 grams of gold bars and coins received as offerings from devotees had allegedly gone missing over the past several months. The report also noted that a multi-tiered gold lamp removed for maintenance was no longer present in the temple and had allegedly been replaced with a silver substitute without any official documentation or records.
Another concern raised in the report pertained to the “Vaira Nama,” a sacred ornament traditionally installed inside the sanctum sanctorum. Authorities reportedly observed that the ornament had been removed for repair work and had not been reinstated for nearly six months.
The report further alleged that several temple employees, security staff, and individuals linked to the erstwhile Travancore royal family were bypassing mandatory security checks at the Chembakathummoodu entrance of the temple complex.
Among those named in the report were Ganapathy V Iyer, identified as the owner of Prashanthi Uniforms, Rajesh Kazhakootam, Arun alias Jim Arun, Kottukal Shaiju, Padmesh Parasuraman, and Ashok, an employee at Thiruvananthapuram airport. The report claimed these individuals frequently entered and exited temple premises without undergoing standard screening procedures.
The document also stated that the individuals mentioned were reportedly close to Sri Aditya Varma and were known to regularly visit Kowdiar Palace.
Citing “grave security concerns” and an alleged lack of accountability in the handling of temple valuables, the police recommended that all gold, silver, and other valuables currently stored outside secured vaults be immediately transferred to a centralised strong room under enhanced surveillance.
The report further proposed that all offerings made by devotees be properly documented and stored in designated lockers under strict police monitoring. It additionally recommended a “zero-tolerance” policy toward security bypasses, stressing that every individual, irrespective of status or affiliation, must undergo standard security screening procedures before entering the temple premises.
END STATE CONTROL FARCE OVER HINDU TEMPLES. SHOCKING “LOOT”?
Security red flags at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram. A DGP letter to Kerala’s Additional Chief Secretary cites intelligence inputs alleging 78 grams of gold offerings missing, disappearance of a… pic.twitter.com/owlHXTua9U— Rahul Shivshankar (@RShivshankar) May 27, 2026
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