Goa, Sept. 19 -- 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.

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...