Kerala High Court has permitted the SIT to collect gold samples and inspect the Sreekovil door amid allegations of massive gold misappropriation at Sabarimala temple. The court said, “The investigation must reach everyone who was part of the gold theft, directly or indirectly.”
The Kerala High Court on Wednesday gave permission to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to carry out a scientific examination as part of its ongoing probe into the alleged gold plating irregularities at the famous Sabarimala temple.
The court allowed the SIT to collect gold samples from different areas inside the temple complex to find out how much gold was actually used and to determine the exact quantity of gold that was “lost or misappropriated” during the renovation works.
It also permitted the team to scientifically inspect the newly installed sanctum sanctorum (Sreekovil) door, as there are growing suspicions that large-scale fraud took place when the door was replaced.
The direction came after the SIT submitted its latest progress report before the High Court. During the hearing, the bench noted that serious allegations had been made against contractor Unnikrishnan Potti, who was reportedly given too much freedom by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) officials while carrying out the gold-plating work.
The court observed that several TDB officials had allegedly supported Potti in many of his transactions. The bench said this kind of conduct raised deep concerns about the lack of oversight and accountability within the Devaswom Board.
“The investigation must reach everyone who was part of the gold theft, directly or indirectly,”
the court remarked, stressing that it was the TDB’s main duty to protect and safeguard the property belonging to the deity.
In a significant direction, the High Court also instructed the SIT to check whether officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board could be brought under the scope of the Prevention of Corruption Act. This move is likely to expand the reach of the investigation and bring more people under scrutiny.
The alleged irregularities are related to the gold plating of the temple’s sanctum doors and other structures, which were part of major renovation works carried out at Sabarimala.
The controversy came to light when the amount of gold used did not match the figures recorded in official documents, leading to strong suspicions of large-scale misappropriation and theft.
The ongoing probe, led by Additional Director General of Police H. Venkitesh, has already seen the arrest of three people — contractor Unnikrishnan Potti, serving TDB official Murari Babu, and former TDB official Sudheesh Kumar.
On Monday, the SIT also questioned former TDB president and two-term commissioner N. Vasu, who is known to be a CPI(M) sympathiser and a close aide of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The investigation has now taken a political turn, with the Congress party demanding the resignation of Devaswom Minister V. N. Vasavan. The opposition has also raised questions about the involvement of former minister and CPI(M) MLA Kadakampally Surendran.
As a result, the ruling CPI(M) finds itself under increasing pressure. Sources indicate that in the coming days, the SIT may summon more senior CPI(M)-linked leaders for questioning, including former TDB presidents A. Padmakumar and Ananthagopan, as well as the current TDB president P. S. Prasanth.
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With the Kerala High Court’s latest order allowing scientific verification and expanding the scope of investigation under the Prevention of Corruption Act, the case has entered a critical phase.
The findings of the scientific tests and the SIT’s next round of questioning are expected to play a major role in uncovering the full extent of the alleged gold plating scam at the Sabarimala temple.
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