Missing Gold, Flying Charges: Sabarimala Theft Turns Into Kerala’s Biggest Political Battle

The gold theft controversy at Kerala’s Sabarimala Temple has spiralled into a full-blown political storm. With several kilograms of gold allegedly missing and senior officials arrested, the case has triggered sharp exchanges between the Left, Congress, and the BJP. A Special Investigation Team has told the court that Pankaj Bhandari of Smart Creations and Ballari-based jeweller Govardhan were central to a conspiracy involving temple artefacts. Two former presidents of the Travancore Devaswom Board have already been taken into custody. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan escalated the row by directly accusing Congress MP Sonia Gandhi of alleged links to the accused, citing photographs. The Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded a CBI probe, alleging a wider conspiracy involving both the Congress-led UDF and the CPM-led LDF. Vijayan also hit out at RSS-linked groups over alleged threats to Christmas celebrations, warning against religious intimidation. What began as a criminal probe has now become a major political flashpoint shaking Kerala’s power corridors.