A Special Investigation Team (SIT) looking into the disappearance of gold from the Sabarimala temple’s idols and sanctum door frames is set to present its initial findings at the upcoming Kerala High Court session on Tuesday. Ahead of the hearing, authorities are making preparations for the submission as per police sources. The High Court had previously given the SIT a six-week timeframe to conclude its inquiry.
At the hearing, Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan and KV Jayakumar will review the SIT’s first interim progress report. The report is anticipated to outline the current status of the investigation, including the arrest of Unnikrishnan Potti from Bengaluru, who funded the gold plating of copper plates on the Dwarapalaka idols and Sreekovil door frames in 2019. Additionally, updates from Chennai, where the gold-plating process occurred, will be included in the report.
The investigation revolves around two complaints regarding missing gold from the Dwarapalaka idols’ plates and Sreekovil door frames at Sabarimala. Among the ten individuals implicated in the ongoing inquiry are Unnikrishnan Potti and officials from the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB). As the investigation advances, the SIT is poised to interrogate other suspects further.
To ensure transparency, the High Court has designated retired judge Justice KT Sankaran as amicus curiae to supervise the compilation of a detailed inventory of valuables at the temple. Justice Sankaran recently visited Sabarimala to inspect the temple’s secure storage spaces and is expected to present a preliminary inventory report during the hearing.
In a separate development, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph has accused the government of shielding the accused individuals linked to the Sabarimala case. Joseph criticized the delayed arrest of the suspects despite the court order for the SIT probe on October 6, claiming that the government is granting preferential treatment to those involved in the significant gold theft.