In a major development regarding the high-profile financial scandal at the famous hill shrine, the Kerala High Court on June 29 granted explicit permission to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to register a brand-new criminal case against two prominent leaders of the state's ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF).

The case took a dramatic turn when investigators presented critical new evidence directly linking CPI leader and former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) member Adv A. Ajikumar, alongside CPI(M) leader and former Board president P.S. Prashanth, to the ongoing gold misappropriation case.

The Judicial Directive

The ruling was delivered by a Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and Justice K.V. Jayakumar, who reviewed the detailed interim status report submitted by the head of the SIT, Investigating Officer S. Sasidharan IPS. In their formal ruling, the judges clarified the immediate path forward for the investigators:

"It is for the Special Investigation Team to carry the investigation forward with all diligence and vigour and, if the materials so warrant, either register a fresh crime in respect of the transaction relating to the year 2025 or file a further report in the Dwarapalaka case."

With this directive, the legal net has widened significantly. This development marks the third consecutive leadership term of the Travancore Devaswom Board—the statutory body responsible for managing the ancient temple—to be explicitly dragged into criminal proceedings over this single, prominent case.

The High Court made it clear that the integrity of the temple's sacred wealth must be protected, issuing a stern mandate to the probe team to ensure complete accountability. The Bench emphasized:

"Every endeavour shall be made to ensure that no stone is left unturned in unearthing the truth and bringing all those found responsible to justice, in accordance with law."

A Growing Network of Conspiracy

According to the extensive progress report presented to the bench, the ongoing inquiry has uncovered a far more expansive network of wrongdoing than initially suspected. Investigating Officer S. Sasidharan stated that the team's findings point to a deep-rooted conspiracy that involved multiple sitting members and high-ranking officials of the TDB, who allegedly worked hand-in-hand with the initial perpetrators to execute and cover up the crime.

This is not the first high-profile political arrest in the scandal. A. Padmakumar, a former lawmaker and prominent leader of the CPI(M), was arrested last year in connection with two separate cases launched by the SIT. The entire timeline of the scandal spans multiple terms of the state government:

• The 2019 Incidents: The initial theft took place during the first LDF administration, which was headed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
• The 2023–2025 Incidents: The latest phase of the case involves serious accusations that the temple's sacred idols were repeatedly transported to a private firm in Chennai under the second consecutive term of the very same government.

The Origins of the Deception

The roots of the criminal case trace back to judicial findings regarding the temple’s iconic Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols, which flank the entrance of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum). These copper figures were originally covered in heavy gold cladding back in 1998.

The crisis began in 2019 when a businessman named Unnikrishnan Potty—who has been identified as a sponsor and the prime accused in the case—requested permission to transport the idols to a private company based in Chennai. Under the pretense that he would personally finance and oversee a completely new round of gold plating, Potty convinced the board to let the artifacts leave the temple grounds.

However, the true nature of the transaction was deliberately obscured. When the state-appointed investigators dug into the official records, a stark reality emerged: during the restoration process in Chennai, a massive portion of the original gold that had safely covered the guardian idols for decades was completely stripped away and went missing.

According to the official criminal charges, the private company required only a very small, minimal quantity of gold to apply a thin, superficial layer of new plating onto the figures. The remaining bulk of the highly valuable, sacred metal was systematically stolen and pocketed by the conspirators.

To hide the theft and allay any immediate suspicions from temple devotees or authorities, the accused produced an official certificate falsely claiming that the new gold plating carried a rock-solid, 40-year warranty. The deception unraveled within just a few months. The low-quality coating deteriorated rapidly, wearing off completely and revealing the bare copper surface underneath.

The Cover-Up and Current Allegations

With the copper surface exposed and the fraud at risk of being discovered, the SIT disclosed that the accused scrambled to launch a second criminal conspiracy to hide their tracks. Their solution was to move the Dwarapalaka idols right back to Chennai under the exact same excuse of requiring "fresh gold plating."

The timeline shows that Unnikrishnan Potty successfully gained the confidence of P.S. Prashanth after the latter assumed office as the TDB President in November 2023. Potty used this relationship to convince the new leadership to officially approve and back the second replating proposal.

The SIT explicitly noted that the Board's leadership supported the highly irregular decision to move the guardian idols out of the state a second time, even though they were fully aware that doing so directly violated the established rules of the Devaswom Manual and went against explicit prior orders issued by the High Court.

Furthermore, the state's intelligence and investigation team recovered records of communication exchanged between the primary accused and the Board's leadership. These messages revealed that several high-ranking officers and board members were fully aware that Potty was still holding onto the remaining balance of stolen gold taken during the 2019 operation. Instead of filing complaints or initiating legal action to recover the temple's property, these officials actively collaborated to conceal the initial theft and protect the ongoing misappropriation.

Overwhelming Evidence and Pending Charges

The Special Investigation Team reported to the High Court that it has successfully compiled "overwhelming material" and documentary evidence that firmly establishes the direct, coordinated involvement of several high-profile figures. The list of central figures implicated in the progress report includes:

• Murari Babu: The late former Executive Officer of Sabarimala
• Unnikrishnan Potty: The primary sponsor and mastermind
• Pankaj Bhandari: The proprietor of the Chennai-based firm, Smart Creations
• P.S. Prashanth: Former President of the Travancore Devaswom Board
• Adv A. Ajikumar: Former member of the Travancore Devaswom Board
• R. Rejilal: TDB’s Thiruvabharanam (Sacred Jewelry) Commissioner

The state's legal representatives argued before the court that the collective actions of these individuals point to clear, pre-planned criminal acts. The evidence outlines a series of severe offenses, including criminal conspiracy, forgery, and criminal breach of trust—all of which demand strict accountability and severe punishment under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).