Gold bars and coins smuggled from Padmanabhaswamy Temple: Kerala DGP's report

Thiruvananthapuram: A damning report has revealed severe security lapses at the historic Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, confirming that valuable items, including gold donated by devotees, have gone missing. Based on intelligence inputs from the ADGP (Intelligence), S Sreejith IPS submitted a special report to the government on behalf of the DGP, the State police chief.

The police report highlights that several valuable artefacts taken outside the temple premises for maintenance work were never returned. Approximately 78 grams of gold bars and coins offered by devotees have gone missing. Furthermore, the report notes that the 'Vairanamam' (sacred diamond-studded forehead mark), which was kept inside the temple's sanctum sanctorum, has not been returned to its position for the past six months. The investigation also revealed that a traditional gold lamp was replaced with a silver lamp without any official documentation or authorisation.

The report further points out that individuals associated with the erstwhile royal family frequently enter the temple without undergoing any security screenings. It alleges that these individuals violate security protocols with the active collusion of temple staff and the security detail.

In light of these alarming findings, the DGP has directed that all gold, silver and other valuables currently kept in the treasurer's office and vehicle sheds be shifted immediately to a high-security strongroom. The report strongly recommends that all offerings made by devotees be meticulously documented and secured in lockers, and that every individual entering the temple be subjected to strict security checks, regardless of their status or position.