The Kerala High Court on Tuesday ordered that the investigation into the alleged gold theft from the Sabarimala temple run under its direct and continuous supervision. The goal is a fair, transparent and swift process.
SIT gets court‑directed oversight
A division bench of Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and Justice K.V. Jayakumar met in-camera with the officers heading the Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the court. The judges told the team to probe the bigger conspiracy that underlies the temple gold theft case.
The court created the SIT earlier this month and gave it six weeks to finish the probe, also asking it to report progress to the bench regularly.
Why close court monitoring?
The bench said the case is highly sensitive, with strong emotions involved. “We need to keep a close eye on the investigation so nothing happens on a rigged basis," the judges said. This will help ensure the inquiry is free of fear or favour.
Current status of the probe
The SIT has already registered two separate First Information Reports (FIRs) and named 10 people, including the main accused, Unnikrishnan Potti, a craftsman.
The progress report shows the charges fall under sections 403, 406, 409, 466 and 467 of the Indian Penal Code, and also Section 34. Early evidence points to a planned conspiracy. The thieves supposedly calculated how much gold was offered by the devotees and tricked people into thinking the gold had been replaced with painted replicas.
The SIT highlighted that the gold had been taken to craftsman Potti with just “perfunctory mahazars” – a slip‑up that made the theft easier. Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) officials were aware of irregularities but stayed silent.
A crucial email from Potti asking the Board for permission to use 409 grams of gold – taken from the gold‑clad side frames – for the marriage of a poor girl is the basis for another case.
Potti is now in custody and more arrests are expected.
Next steps
The bench praised how the SIT had handled the probe so far but told it to dig deeper into the larger criminal plot. It wants the SIT to look at the role of every TDB official, from the top ranks down, to see if the 2025 hand‑over of the idols was a cover‑up for the 2019 theft.
The bench also directed that the TDB’s Minutes Book and related records be seized and kept in the custody of the Registrar General.
The case will be heard again on November 5.
Source: ianslive
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
