Kochi, June 29 (IANS) The Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the alleged Sabarimala gold misappropriation case, on Monday widened its investigation by naming former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) President P.S. Prasanth, former Board member A. Ajikumar and the then Board members as accused, making it the third successive board to face criminal proceedings in the high-profile case.

Prasanth was a Congress leader and, after unsuccessfully contesting the 2021 Assembly polls, joined the CPI-M and got the prized TDB President’s post in 2023.

The latest development indicates that investigators believe the alleged irregularities were not confined to a single Board but extended across successive administrations during the tenure of the CPI-M-led Left government headed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the current Leader of the Opposition.

Appearing before the Kerala High Court, the SIT informed the court that the list of accused would be expanded further as the investigation progresses and that additional cases may also be registered based on fresh evidence.

The investigating agency has booked the accused on charges including criminal breach of trust, forgery, use of forged documents, and criminal conspiracy.

Apart from Prasanth and Ajikumar, those named in the latest case include former Sabarimala Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru and Pankaj Bhandari, proprietor of Smarts Creation.

According to the SIT, the alleged gold misappropriation in 2025 was the culmination of a conspiracy that originated in 2019 and continued through successive Board administrations.

The agency has alleged that the conspiracy was executed in stages, resulting in large-scale irregularities in the handling, accounting, and movement of Sabarimala temple gold.

The case first surfaced last year, following allegations of diversion of gold from temple ornaments.

During the initial phase of the investigation, the SIT had named former TDB President Padmakumar and the Board that functioned under him as accused.

Then N. Vasu, who became TDB President in 2019, ended up behind bars.

The inclusion of Prasanth and his Board now brings a third consecutive Board under the scanner.

All of those arrested during the earlier phases of the investigation have since been released on bail after the SIT failed to file its final charge sheet within the statutory period.

One accused who was on bail passed away early this month.

During Monday’s hearing, the SIT informed the High Court that it would apprise the court on Tuesday of the timeline for filing the final charge sheets in the cases.

The agency is presently investigating two FIRs relating to the alleged diversion of gold from the Kattilappally and Dwarapalaka ornaments.

The latest development significantly raises the legal and political stakes in one of Kerala’s most closely watched temple administration investigations, with the probe now extending across three Devaswom Board administrations.

–IANS

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