Padmanabhaswamy Temple orders polygraph tests after gold rod mystery. Ten staff members are to face a lie detector examination.
A Thiruvananthapuram magistrate’s court has authorized police to conduct polygraph tests on at least ten staff members following the suspicious recovery of a 13 sovereign gold rod that went missing from Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in May. The 107-gram gold rod used for soldering work during temple renovation disappeared briefly before being found buried in a sandpit near the northern entrance. Assistant Commissioner C Binu said the tests will help tie up loose ends in the sensational case.
The gold rod was reported missing on May 10 when the strongroom was opened to resume gold plating work on the sanctum sanctorum door. Despite reviewing extensive CCTV footage from the temple’s surveillance network, police could not determine how the rod ended up in the sand. Officials suspect it accidentally went missing during transport back to the treasury for safekeeping. The rod was recovered two days later, on May 11, after intensive searches. The court mandated police seek voluntary consent from staff members before conducting the tests.
Temple authorities conducted preliminary security reviews of the strongroom where precious and vintage religious artifacts are stored. The investigation continues as police cannot rule out fraud. This incident raised concerns about security protocols at one of India’s richest temples, which houses a treasure worth billions discovered in underground vaults. Devotees expect answers.
When gold vanishes from sacred spaces, trust erodes. Temples demand accountability and transparency. Every artifact belongs to devotees who built these sanctuaries over centuries.
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