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Headline: High Court Suspects Top Devaswom Board Officials in Sabarimala Gold Theft
Kochi: The Kerala High Court has stated it suspects high-ranking officials within the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) were involved in the Sabarimala gold theft case. The court asserted that the removal of gold plating from the Dwarapalaka statues could not have occurred without the knowledge and involvement of top TDB officials.
Justice A. Badaruddin directed the investigating officer to expand the investigation beyond the current accused and to focus on identifying the “big fish” involved. The court order highlighted the considerable influence Unnikrishnan Potti wielded at the Sabarimala Sannidhanam, questioning who granted him such unchecked authority. The court emphasized that a theft of this magnitude from a temple as significant as Sabarimala, visited by millions, would be impossible without high-level support.
The court scrutinized the 2019 decision by the TDB to remove the gold plating for re-gilding. While the initial decision didn’t specify handing the gold over to Unnikrishnan Potti, then-Devaswom Board Secretary S. Jayasree issued an order that effectively placed the gold in Potti’s custody. The court interpreted this as evidence of Potti’s significant influence, facilitated by higher-ups.
Following the High Court’s directive to investigate further, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) is broadening its investigation to include individuals with close and frequent contact with Unnikrishnan Potti.
Previously, the High Court rejected the anticipatory bail pleas of former Devaswom Board Secretary S. Jayasree and former Administrative Officer S. Sreekumar. Former Devaswom Board Presidents N. Vasu and A. Padmakumar are currently in jail, with Padmakumar also implicated in the Dwarapalaka gold smuggling case.
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