The Kerala High Court on Wednesday flagged "alarming irregularities" in the 2019 repair of Sabarimala temple's Sreekovil main door, revealing how prime accused Unnikrishnan Potti was granted unchecked authority over a process that bypassed strict supervisory protocols mandated by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) manual. Examining a sealed-cover report from the Special Investigation Team (SIT), a division bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K. V. Jayakumar expressed shock at the casual negligence, noting that Potti—already under scrutiny for earlier gold-plating discrepancies—was allowed to hire external carpenter Nandan, remove the sacred doors during an open Nada period, and transport them multiple times without proper oversight or documentation.

Records show Potti received permission in 2019 to sponsor repairs, after which Nandan measured the doors—hung on inverse locks for easy removal—while Keezhsanthis (sub-priests) temporarily took them down. The carpenter sourced teakwood from Thrissur, crafted a new door at Bengaluru's Sree Rampuram Ayyappa Temple, tested fittings at Sannidhanam, sent it to Hyderabad for copper plating, and finally sent it to Chennai-based Smart Creations for gold overlay using just 324.4 grams. The court highlighted the "deeply disturbing" free rein given to Potti, questioning whether the returned doors are the original 1998-99 gold-clad ones sponsored by Vijay Mallya or substitutes that enabled misappropriation of several kilograms of precious metal.

Compounding the lapses, TDB's minutes book remains updated only to July 28, 2025, with incomplete and irregular entries; a crucial September 2, 2025, order authorising further plating at the same Chennai firm has no record at all. The bench directed the SIT to seize the minutes book, conduct scientific weighing and analysis of all artefacts plated in 1998, 2019, and 2025, and determine exact gold loss before November 15—ahead of the Mandala-Makaravilakku season. It also ordered scrutiny of whether TDB officials from top to subordinate levels should face charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act for "active connivance" in the irregularities.

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The scandal, which erupted in September after a vigilance report exposed weight discrepancies in Dwarapalaka idol plates, has already led to arrests of Potti and two former TDB officers, with more expected. The court warned that replicas of sacred items crafted under repair pretexts could fetch astronomical sums internationally, underscoring systemic deficiencies in temple administration. As millions prepare for the pilgrimage starting November 15, the SIT's accelerated probe—including gold sampling and door examination—aims to restore faith in one of India's richest and most revered shrines before devotees ascend the holy eighteen steps.

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