THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major development in the case related to the disappearance and subsequent recovery of gold from Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, the Thiruvananthapuram judicial first class magistrate court has permitted the conduct of polygraph (lie-detector) tests on six temple employees. The order came on a petition from Fort police who are investigating the case.Padmanabhaswamy temple, one of the wealthiest in the world, has often been at the centre of discussions on security and inventory management. The temple’s treasures, stored in sealed vaults, are estimated to be worth billions. The recent incident, which occurred in May this year, has once again raised concerns over its security and monitoring of valuables.Officers close to the investigation said the recovery of the gold had added complexity to the case, as it is unclear if the incident was an attempted theft or an act of negligence. They said the lie detector tests, though not admissible in court as evidence, could help identify discrepancies in statements given by employees and provide crucial leads in solving the case.The gold went missing between May 7 and 10. Temple authorities found that 13 sovereigns of gold, weighing around 107g and taken out from the strong room for plating the sanctum sanctorum (sreekovil) door, had gone missing. The temple manager then lodged a complaint with Fort police.The case took a turn when police recovered the missing gold from within the temple premises. It was found buried in sand near the northern entrance, about 30m from the strong room. Forensic experts later confirmed that it was the same gold reported missing. However, there were no CCTV visuals showing the gold being taken from the strong room or hidden, as the camera near it was found to be non-functional at the time.Following these developments, police sought permission to conduct polygraph tests on six staff members who were on duty during the period. The court granted permission, directing the investigating officers to obtain proper authorisation and consent before conducting the tests.Meanwhile, the temple administration is expected to review and strengthen its security systems, including the functioning of CCTV cameras and the handling protocols for gold and other valuables during renovation and maintenance work.
