Sabarimala, Dec. 23 -- As lakhs of devotees flock to the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple for the annual Mandalam festival, the long-pending gold looting case continues to cast a shadow over the hill shrine, even as rituals and festival preparations proceed smoothly.
The case pertains to alleged irregularities in gold plating and renovation works at Sabarimala and certain affiliated temples. Investigators found significant discrepancies between the quantity of gold removed for plating and the amount returned, prompting allegations of large-scale misappropriation of temple gold ornaments and plating materials.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Kerala Police has been probing the case rigorously. Several accused, including jewellers an...