Overview

• A court‑monitored Special Investigation Team led by ADGP H. Venkatesh, with IPS officer S. Sasidharan conducting the inquiry, was constituted to examine discrepancies in gold‑plated coverings at Sabarimala.
• The SIT received confidentiality directions and a court‑set deadline to report expeditiously, with instructions to avoid media interactions during the probe.
• TDB Vigilance’s interim report flagged prima‑facie misappropriation, citing documentation from United Breweries that 1.564 kg of gold was used for the Dwarapalakas, contradicting 2019 records that described the items as copper.
• The High Court noted an approximately 4.541 kg reduction in recorded weight after 2019 plating and said there is a grave possibility the original gold‑clad Dwarapalakas were disposed of, directing scrutiny of sponsor Unnikrishnan Potti and involved officials.
• The Travancore Devaswom Board suspended deputy commissioner B. Murari Babu for listing gold‑clad plates as copper in 2019, as Kerala’s Assembly saw a second day of disruptions with opposition MLAs demanding the Devaswom minister’s resignation.