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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The special investigation team has former Sabarimala administrative officer S Sreekumar in connection with theft of gold-plated sheets from the dwarapalaka idols. Sreekumar, who was the administrative officer when the alleged offence took place, was arrested after his anticipatory bail plea was dismissed by the High Court. Following that, the SIT summoned him to the office and registered his arrest. This is the seventh arrest in the case. After TDB's former chief K Padmakumar, was arrested, there was an allegation that the police had slowed down the probe in the wake of the local body polls. Sreekumar will be produced before the Kollam Vigilance court.
Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Friday pulled up the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) for removing the gold-plated copper coverings from the Dwarapalaka idols at Sabarimala without informing the Special Commissioner. A Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice K V Jayakumar, while considering the Sabarimala Special Commissioner's report, expressed concern over repair works being carried out in Chennai in violation of procedures and court oversight. Installed in 2019 with a 40-year guarantee, the gold-plated coverings developed defects within six years. Sponsored by d ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram: Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Sunday said he shared all the information available with him regarding the Sabarimala gold scam with the special investigation team (SIT) probing the case.Speaking to the media after giving his statement to the SIT, Chennithala said he informed the probe team about the possible links between the theft and international antique smuggling networks. He clarified that the details he provided were information he received in his capacity ...Read More >
Pathanamthitta (Kerala) [India], November 20 (ANI): The Special Investigation Team on Thursday arrested former Travancore Devaswom Board president A Padmakumar in the Sabarimala gold theft case, officials said. He was the Devaswom Board president in 2019, when the gold theft took place. The arrest came after the SIT questioned him for several hours at the State Police Headquarters since this morning. Also Read | 5G Network Expansion: India Set To Cross 1 Million 5G Subscription by End of 2031, Reflecting Rapid Growth in Adoption in Just 3 Years of Service Rollout, Says Report. On November 1 ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram: Two months ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told a gathering of party workers in Kerala's capital, Thiruvananthapuram, that if the BJP came to power in the state, the Sabarimala gold theft case would be thoroughly investigated and the accused would be jailed. "This is Modi's guarantee," he said, drawing thunderous applause. However, on Sunday, two months later, at his first election rally in Palakkad ahead of the assembly polls, the Prime Minister made no mention of Sabarima ...Read More >
KOCHI: Hardening its stance against the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) for sending gold-plated sheets of 'dwarapalaka idols' of the Sabarimala temple to Chennai for repair without following proper procedure, the Kerala High Court on Friday directed the TDB's chief vigilance and security officer (SP) to seize all the records related to the gold plating of the idols and other items since the date of original cladding. It also impleaded Unnikrishnan Potty of Bengaluru, who is sponsoring the repair, and Smart Creations of Chennai, which is undertaking it, in the case and asked the registry to is ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], October 6 (ANI): The General Secretary of Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam, Vellappally Natesan has heavily criticised Kerala's temple administration system, questioning whether "Devaswom Boards have become a curse." Criticising the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) for sending gold-plated panels from the temple's Dwarapalaka idols to Chennai for repair without informing the High Court, Natesan wrote in 'Yoganadam', the official mouthpiece of the SNDP Yogam, that such an incident is "deeply painful for Ayyappa devotees" and highlighted that the a ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram: Judicial first class magistrate court in Ranni on Friday remanded Unnikrishnan Potti, the key accused in the Sabarimala gold theft case, to the custody of the special investigation team (SIT) until Oct 30.Potti, who was taken into custody on Thursday from his residence at Pulimath, was subjected to several hours of interrogation at the crime branch headquarters in Eanchakkal before being formally arrested early Friday morning -- marking the first arrest in the case. He was later produced before the Ranni court, which allowed him 10 minutes to interact with his lawyer. Inves ...Read More >
Kochi, Sep 12 (PTI) The Kerala High Court on Friday ordered immediate seizure of the entire records related to the gold-plating of the 'Dwarapalaka' (guardian deity) idols in front of the Sabarimala sanctum sanctorum, saying there were a lot of "unanswered questions" regarding it. The direction by a bench of justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar came during hearing of a plea initiated by the court on its own with regard to the removal of the gold-plated copper coverings of the 'Dwarapalaka' idols located on either side of the Sreekovil without prior intimation to the Special Commis ...Read More >
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], October 26 (ANI): The Special Investigation Team (SIT), appointed by the Kerala High Court has questioned Pankaj Bhandari, CEO of Smart Creation in Chennai, over the alleged disappearance of gold linked to the Sabarimala temple's restoration work. The company had undertaken the electroplating of gold-clad copper coverings for the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols at the Sabarimala Ayyappan Temple. The SIT brought the accused, Unnikrishnan Potti, to Chennai after raiding his residence in Bengaluru. Potti, the prime accused in the Sabarimala gold theft case, was ...Read More >
The SIT probing the Sabarimala gold theft has requested permission from the Thantri to conduct a scientific inspection at the Sannidhanam. The SIT aims to examine the gold-plated sheets on the Dwarapalaka sculptures and door frames. Pathanamthitta: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Sabarimala gold theft case has requested permission from the Thantri to carry out a scientific inspection at the Sannidhanam. The formal request was submitted to Thantri Mahesh Mohanaru through the Deva ...Read More >
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the loss of gold from Sabarimala temple conducted searches at the prime accused Unnikrishnan Potty's Bengaluru apartment and a jewellery shop in Ballari. Gold bars were seized from the shop, owned by Govardhan, who reportedly funded the temple's Sreekovil door frame gold-plating work sponsored by Potty. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the loss of gold from the Sabarimala temple conducted searches at the apartment of prime accused Unnikris ...Read More >
Unnikrishnan Potty, who allegedly sponsored gold plating of temple items in 2019, has been arrested from his Thiruvananthapuram residence. This comes after Kerala HC found that the items that Potty allegedly took for gold plating in 2019 had been missing gold. A Special Investigation Team probing alleged misappropriation of gold from the Sabarimala temple Thursday took Unnikrishnan Potty, who had sponsored gold-plating of temple items, into custody. Following directions from the Kerala High Cou ...Read More >
Pathanamthitta (Kerala), Oct 17 (PTI) A local court in Ranni here on Friday granted custody of Unnikrishnan Potty, the prime accused in the Sabarimala gold missing case, to the SIT probing the matter. The Judicial First Class Magistrate Court granted the custody of Potty to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) till October 30. The accused claimed he had been 'trapped' by somone. "Those who trapped me will come before the law," he told reporters while being taken out of the court. A person in the crowd gathered outside the court hurled a footwear at Potty as he was being escorted out of the ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram [Kerala], October 2 (ANI): The Sabrimala gold-plating controversy has intensified, with investigators struggling to trace key records linked to the 30.3 kg of gold and 1,900 kg of copper donated by industrialist Vijay Mallya in 1998 for cladding the sanctum sanctorum and wooden carvings of the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in Kerala. Also Read | Mohan Bhagwat Says 'Pahalgam Attack Revealed India's True Friends' During Public Address on RSS 100th Anniversary (Watch Video). Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan, in response to ANI, said a detailed probe was underway under High Court sup ...Read More >
Sabarimala temple's former administrative officer B Murari Babu has been taken into custody by the Special Investigation Team probing missing gold. Babu, suspended by the Travancore Devaswom Board, is accused in cases involving the disappearance of gold from temple idols and door frames. He allegedly forwarded proposals for electroplating, claiming the gold-clad plates were copper. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the missing gold from the Sabarimala temple has taken former administr ...Read More >
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Crime Branch Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) President A. Padmakumar on Thursday, in connection with the Sabarimala gold theft case. Padmakumar, a senior CPM leader and former MLA, was grilled by the SIT at the Crime Branch headquarters here before his arrest. The former TDB president is suspected of being involved in the case. According to the probe team, the gold used for plating the Sanctum Sanctorum (Sreekovil) door frames was allegedly recorded as copper under instructions from former Devaswom Commissioner N Vasu. ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 3 (PTI) Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president PS Prasanth on Friday said the board will approach the Kerala High Court seeking a detailed investigation into the gold plating of Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols at the Sabarimala temple from 1998 to 2025. Prasanth said the TDB standing counsel has been instructed to file a petition once the High Court resumes after the Pooja holiday. He said that a comprehensive inquiry would be launched into the amount of gold used at Sabarimala and the individuals involved. The investigation will cover the period from September ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram [Kerala], October 2 (ANI): The Sabrimala gold-plating controversy has intensified, with investigators struggling to trace key records linked to the 30.3 kg of gold and 1,900 kg of copper donated by industrialist Vijay Mallya in 1998 for cladding the sanctum sanctorum and wooden carvings of the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in Kerala. Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan, in response to ANI, said a detailed probe was underway under High Court supervision. "The pedestal was recovered from the residence of Unnikrishnan Potty, who himself raised the complaint, which reveals who the culpr ...Read More >
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a crucial development in the probe into Sabarimala gold theft, the special investigation team (SIT) on Thursday took into custody Unnikrishnan Potti, a priest-turned-businessman who has been named the main accused in the two cases it registered. At the time of going to the press, the SIT had been interrogating Potti. Sources said his arrest would be recorded late in the night after questioning. Potti was reportedly picked up from his residence near Kilimanoor on Thursday morning and taken to an undisclosed location. Police sources said he was taken to the AR Camp, Path ...Read More >
KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to thoroughly investigate the aspect of criminal conspiracy in the Sabarimala gold scam, observing that the chain of events commencing in 2019 and the subsequent entrustment of the dwarapalaka idols to Unnikrishnan Potti appeared to be part of a larger and well-orchestrated scheme. The court also referred to a letter dated August 21, 2025, from the Thiruvabharanam Commissioner, citing directions from the president of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to expedite the gold-plating work proposed by the sponso ...Read More >
New Delhi, Nov 20 (PTI) Parents and friends of a Class 10 student who ended his life over alleged mental harassment by some teachers staged a protest outside the St Columba's school on Thursday, demanding strict action against the accused teachers and accountability from the private school. There was no immediate reaction from the school administration to the allegations. The victim student's aunt claimed the family had been unaware of the extent of his suffering. "He was depressed for so long. He kept complaining, but we stayed quiet because he was in Class 10. He even told his school coun ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 29 (PTI) Kerala Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan and the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) on Monday alleged a conspiracy behind the episode of the "missing" gold-coated peedam (pedestal) of the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols at Sabarimala, which was later recovered from the residence of a sponsor's relative. Vasavan accused sponsor Unnikrishnan Potty of staging a "drama" by hiding the peedam and then alleging that it had gone missing from TDB custody. "What we understand is that after hiding the peedam, Potty came out with a missing allegation and played a drama. Natu ...Read More >
Pathanamthitta (Kerala), Oct 17 (PTI) The SIT probing the Sabarimala gold missing case has stated in its remand report that the accused, Unnikrishnan Potty, misappropriated around two kilograms of gold from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols after sponsoring their electroplating in 2019. Investigation officer S Sasidharan filed the remand report before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Ranni on Friday, when Potty was arrested and produced as part of the remand procedure. The court has sent Potty to the Special Investigation Team's custody until October 30. As per the report, ...Read More >
He expressed satisfaction with the ongoing probe into the issue by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and said that he was confident they will recover the lost gold. Regarding the allegations against the current Board from various quarters, including the Congress-led opposition, he said, "We have nothing to hide." Prasanth said that efforts were being made to connect him to Bengaluru-based businessman Unnikrishnan Potty, who had sponsored the gold-plating work, "but there is no connection betwee ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) President Droupadi Murmu's travel plans have changed following inclement weather, and after taking a helicopter from the state capital city, she landed at a stadium in Pramadom, Konni on Wednesday. The earlier planned destination was that the helicopter would land at Nilackal, but following the inclement weather, it landed at Pramadom. Also, contrary to the earlier plans, Kerala Governor Rajendra V. Arlekar was not on the helicopter; instead, it was State Devasom Minister V.N. Vasavan who was accompanying President Murmu. At Pramadom, she was rece ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 25 (PTI) The BJP has intensified its agitation against the alleged irregularities in gold-plating of 'Dwarapalaka' idols in Sabarimala temple by starting a day-night protest outside the Kerala state secretariat. BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, other leaders and cadres of the party protested by sitting on the road in front of secretariat and shouting slogans against the government on Friday night. Chandrasekhar, in a Facebook post, said that the party's day and night struggle "was enough to make the authorities sitting inside the secretariat accept the demand ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 20 (PTI) The SIT probing the Sabarimala temple gold missing case arrested former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president A Padmakumar here on Thursday, police officials said. The former CPI(M) MLA was questioned at the Crime Branch office after which his arrest was recorded in the afternoon, an official said. Sources said that Padmakumar was arrested in the case related to gold missing from the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) door frames after he was arraigned as an accused. He was the TDB president in 2019 when the board considered a proposal to hand over the gold-c ...Read More >
The Kerala High Court raised concerns over missing gold in Sabarimala's Dwarapalaka idol coverings, citing lapses in Travancore Devaswom Board records. A vigilance probe is underway, with the court proposing a retired judge. Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Monday, September 29 raised serious concerns over discrepancies in the handling and accounting of gold-plated coverings from the Dwarapalaka idols (door guardians) at the Sabarimala temple. A Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghav ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 17 (PTI) The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing cases related to gold missing from Kerala's Sabarimala temple arrested prime accused Unnikrishnan Potty on Friday, officials said. Police sources said Potty, a Bengaluru-based businessman who was taken into custody from his residence at Pulimath near here on Thursday, was interrogated at the Crime Branch office in Thiruvananthapuram. After the interrogation, the SIT recorded his arrest on Friday, the sources said. Later, Potty was taken to the government hospital for a medical examination. The SIT would be shifti ...Read More >
T'puram: The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) vigilance wing, probing alleged irregularities in the 2019 gold-plating of the Dwarapalaka idols at Sabarimala Temple, continued questioning Unnikrishnan Potti, the sponsor of the gold plating, for the second consecutive day on Sunday. Potti, who was interrogated for nearly four hours on Saturday, faced another two-hour round of questioning for clarifications. Speaking briefly while leaving the vigilance office, he denied any wrongdoing. "No one can pu ...Read More >