THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major security lapse at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, 10 surveillance cameras were found to be non-functional. The defunct cameras include those located in high-security zones. Police responsible for the temple’s security were reportedly aware of the malfunction. The issue came to light after a 13-sovereign gold rod went missing during renovation work on the sreekovil’s door.
The missing rod was being transported from the strong room to the work site in a cloth pouch when it reportedly disappeared. It was later was found covered in soil near the temple’s northern entrance. Police have not yet confirmed whether it was stolen or dropped by accident.
An internal check revealed that several cameras covering major locations, including the eastern entrance and the area around the sanctum, had not been working for months. Cameras installed near the strong room, where valuables are stored, were also found to be out of service. The police are responsible for 24-hour monitoring of the premises, and the malfunctioning of cameras is being treated as a serious failure in the protocol. Officers said they had notified the private contractor responsible for camera maintenance but no repairs were carried out.
Meanwhile, police sources have dismissed security lapse at the temple, saying some cameras are undergoing periodic maintenance. “Our cameras haven’t suffered any prolonged breakdown. Like any equipment, they occasionally develop faults, which we repair as soon as they are detected. Footage from the area near the strong-room is available, and we use several camera types, including Skywatch units. I don’t have an exact count of the sets that are down at the moment, but maintenance is under way. Not every part of the temple complex is under continuous surveillance,” said a top cop.