Panel gets six more weeks; Big setback to opposition in Kerala
By P. Sreekumaran
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala high Court’s expression of satisfaction with the investigation being conducted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the Sabarimala gold theft case constitutes a major setback to the combined Opposition in the State.
The Opposition has been launching a vituperative campaign to discredit the Left Democratic Front(LDF) Government on the issue, making baseless allegations and unleashing an orchestrated misinformation campaign.
In a major relief to the Government, the court has extended by another six weeks the deadline to the SIT to complete the probe. The Court had granted a six-week extension a month ago, following a request by the head of the SIT. This was after the SIT submitted its updated probe findings to the court.
On Monday, January 6, H. Venkatesh, Additional Director General of Police(ADGP) (Law and Order), who heads the SIT, S. Sasidharan, Superintendent of Police, the investigating officer and the Chief Vigilance Security Officer of Sabarimala submitted a detailed report on the ongoing investigation. Of the 15 accused, nine have already been arrested. The SIT’s report concludes that the alleged misappropriation of gold occurred between 1998 when the gold cladding works were done by UB Group and September 2025 when the Dwarapalaka idols were sent to Smart Creations in Chennai, a private firm for gold plating.
The SIT had collected samples from the original plates at the Sannidhanam and conducted scientific tests at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). The nature of examination being very sensitive and complex, all efforts have been taken by the scientists to carry out the tests in a most comprehensive manner. The results have not yet been obtained.
The outcome of these tests are crucial as it may shed light on the manner in which the gold was surreptitiously removed, replaced, or misappropriated pursuant to a pre-meditated and concerted design by individuals who were entrusted with the custody and protection of the valuables of the deity, according to a Division Bench of Justice V. Raja Vijayaraghavan and Justice K. V. Jayakumar.
After going through the report, the High Court said it was satisfied that the investigation was being carried out in a professional and thorough manner, leaving no stone unturned.
Despite the attempts made by certain persons to conceal records relating to the transactions under scrutiny, the SIT had succeeded in tracing and recovering vital documentary evidence. And in spite of the clear directions of the court, it was being reported that the SIT was being subjected to pressure through misleading , speculative and unfounded reports aired through a section of the mainstream media as well as social media platforms. Such biased reportage had the potential to undermine the integrity of the probe, erode public confidence in institutions, and interfere with the fair administration of criminal justice.
The court further said, “We reiterate our direction to the SIT and its officials to continue the investigation meticulously and fearlessly, uninfluenced by any external pressures or extraneous considerations.”
Meanwhile, more details of the report have come out. The report said the key persons arraigned as accused in the case conspired to steal more gold from the temple, including from the gold-plated Dwarapalaka statues and the door frame of the sanctum sanctorum.
The three accused, the report said, held a secret meeting in Bengaluru after the case came up for hearing in Court in October 2025. The trio of Unnikrishnan Potti, Bellary-based jeweler Govardhan and Pankaj Bhandari, CEO of Chennai-based Smart Creations, where the idols were taken for gold plating – discussed the possible course of action in case they were implicated in the case, in an attempt to destroy evidence. Their cellphone records confirmed this, said the report.
Another shocking finding is that the officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) had conspired in the alleged misappropriation of gold from the temple. All criminal activities were part of a larger conspiracy and organized crime. The trio also had plans to dismantle other gold-plated items of the Sreekovil and misappropriate the gold.
The report also said that the TDB officials, who had clear knowledge that the temple’s door frames were gold-clad, with dishonest intention referred to them as copper plates, even in the mahazar. These acts amounted to official misconduct, thereby abetting and aiding Potti and others to steal the gold taken to Smart Creations.
The SIT made these submissions while opposing the bail plea of Govardhan. It said he was aware of the gold-plating work done on the sanctum sanctorum. His custody was needed as there is a need to additionally ascertain his role in the case.
In another report submitted before the court, the SIT has raised grave allegations against A. Padmakumar, former TDB president, too. He indulged in grave misconduct by making false entries in official correspondence, which led to the misappropriation of gold from the temple. He allegedly even replaced the word gold cladded to copper covered, when the door frames were given for gold plating.
In another development the Vigilance wing of the TDB has launched an inquiry into alleged irregularities in the distribution of ghee offerings at the Sabarimala temple. According to informed sources, 16,000 packets of ghee, valued at Rs 16 lakh, which were handed over to the distribution counter, are reported to be missing. (IPA Service)
