Kerala police recover missing diamonds of Padmanabhaswamy temple

It has been stated they were not stolen.

A file photo of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple.

The Crime Branch of the Kerala police has recovered some of the diamonds that had reportedly gone missing from the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram.

A team, led by Inspector General (Crimes) S. Sreejith, found 12 of the 26 diamonds, which formed part of naamam (tilak) of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy idol. The officials have surmised that the gems were not stolen, but had fallen off and were stuck within the cracks on the floor of the sanctum sanctorum, from where they were recovered.

Notably, the team also stumbled upon other gems, including rubies and pearls, that had not been reported missing.

Reported in SC

Sources said these valuables had not been documented in the temple records. The investigation team submitted its report to State police chief Loknath Behera for further action.

The alleged theft had been reported to the Supreme Court by senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, the

amicus curiae in the case pertaining to the temple.

In his report, Mr. Subramanium stated that the stones were officially valued at over ₹21 lakh, while suggesting that they were worth much more in view of their antique value.