Sabarimala gold scam: Third Devaswom Board comes under SIT probe
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Kochi: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged Sabarimala gold misappropriation case on Monday expanded its investigation by naming former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) President P.S. Prasanth, former Board member A. Ajikumar, and other then-Board members as accused.
With the latest development, a third successive Devaswom Board has come under criminal proceedings in the high-profile case.
Prasanth, a Congress leader who unsuccessfully contested the 2021 Assembly elections, later joined the CPI-M and was appointed TDB President in 2023.
The move indicates that investigators believe the alleged irregularities were not limited to a single Board but extended across successive administrations during the tenure of the CPI-M-led Left government headed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the current Leader of the Opposition.
Appearing before the Kerala High Court, the SIT informed the court that the list of accused would be expanded further as the investigation progressed and that more cases could be registered based on fresh evidence.
The accused have been booked under charges including criminal breach of trust, forgery, use of forged documents, and criminal conspiracy.
Apart from Prasanth and Ajikumar, those named in the latest case include former Sabarimala Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru and Pankaj Bhandari, proprietor of Smarts Creation.
According to the SIT, the alleged gold misappropriation in 2025 was the result of a conspiracy that began in 2019 and continued through successive Devaswom Board administrations.
The agency alleged that the conspiracy was carried out in phases, leading to major irregularities in the handling, accounting, and movement of Sabarimala temple gold.
The case came to light last year following allegations of the diversion of gold from temple ornaments.
During the initial phase of the probe, the SIT had named former TDB President Padmakumar and the Board headed by him as accused.
Later, N. Vasu, who became TDB President in 2019, was arrested and sent to jail.
The inclusion of Prasanth and his Board has now brought a third consecutive Board under investigation.
All those arrested during the earlier stages of the probe have since been granted bail after the SIT failed to submit its final charge sheet within the statutory period. One of the accused, who was out on bail, died earlier this month.
During Monday’s hearing, the SIT informed the High Court that it would update the court on Tuesday regarding the timeline for filing the final charge sheets in the cases.
The agency is currently investigating two FIRs related to the alleged diversion of gold from the Kattilappally and Dwarapalaka ornaments.
The latest development has increased the legal and political significance of one of Kerala’s most closely watched temple administration investigations, with the probe now extending across three Devaswom Board administrations.
With IANS inputs