Overview
- Under direct supervision of the Kerala High Court, the SIT has been told to investigate a larger conspiracy in the Sabarimala gold case and examine the roles of Travancore Devaswom Board officials from top to bottom.
- The SIT seized the TDB’s 2019 minutes book authorising handover of gold-plated panels to Unnikrishnan Potti, reported signs of document manipulation and reluctance to share records, and confirmed Potti’s arrest with further arrests likely.
- Judges questioned the 2025 re-entrustment of gold-plating to Potti despite earlier irregularities, noting it may have been aimed at concealing suspected 2019 pilferage.
- Separate state audits of Guruvayur Devaswom for 2019–20 and 2020–21 cite missing physical verification of valuables, poor record keeping, and establishment spending about Rs 25 crore higher than revenue.
- Audit findings also note failures to hand over roughly 522.86 kg of ivory and discrepancies in temple items, while Guruvayur’s chairman says the period predates the current board and that ivory was not in the Devaswom’s custody.