The Kerala High Court was apprised on Monday by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) about the substantial evidence implicating seven individuals, including former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) President PS Prashanth, in the alleged misappropriation of gold from the revered Sabarimala Temple. [Suo Motu v The State of Kerala & ors]
According to the SIT’s report, the individuals allegedly involved in the misappropriation are: Sabarimala Executive Officer Murari Babu, Sponsor Unnikrishnan Potty, Smart Creations proprietor Pankaj Bhandari, former TDB President PS Prashanth, TDB member Adv A Ajikumar, Chief Priest (thantri) Kandararu Rajeevaru, and TDB Thiruvabharanam Commissioner Rejilal. They face charges including criminal breach of trust, forgery, and criminal conspiracy, under Sections 316(2), 316(5), 336(2), and 61(2) read with Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
The Division Bench, comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice KV Jayakumar, acknowledged these findings in its order and instructed the SIT to expedite the investigation process. The court stressed the necessity of leaving no stone unturned in uncovering the truth and ensuring justice is served.
This case arose from suo motu proceedings initiated by the court in response to allegations regarding the misappropriation of gold from the Dwarapalaka idols, which are positioned on either side of the temple’s sanctum sanctorum. The bench is also overseeing the investigation into the involvement of other former TDB officials, including board member Sundareshan, secretary Bindhu, thantri Mahesh Mohanararu, and Thiruvabharanam Commissioner Sunila. The court has directed the SIT to take appropriate action if evidence against them materializes.
The investigation is still awaiting expert reports from the National Metallurgical Laboratory in Jamshedpur and the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. Consequently, the court has granted the SIT an additional two weeks to conclude their investigation, with the next hearing scheduled for July 20.
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The controversy dates back to allegations of gold misappropriation from the Dwarapalakas, which were donated by a devotee. The gold coverings, which adorned the sides and roof of the ‘Sreekovil’ since 1999, were removed in 2019 for repairs. The TDB’s inventory at the time recorded the plates as copper sheets, not gold-plated copper, leading to further scrutiny when discrepancies in the gold quantity surfaced post-repair.
In 2025, the special commissioner alerted the High Court when the TDB handed over the gold-plated copper plates to Unnikrishnan Potti for repairs without prior court approval. This led the High Court to initiate suo motu proceedings and form an SIT to probe the allegations, with ongoing oversight of the investigation.
The SIT members appeared in person before the court, and their statements were heard in-camera before the court issued its order publicly. Standing counsel G Biju represented the Travancore Devaswom Board during the proceedings.
