The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Sabarimala gold theft case has intensified its investigation by questioning former Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran. The questioning took place on December 27, and is part of a widening probe into the administrative lapses and criminal conspiracy linked to the handling of gold associated with Sabarimala.
It has also emerged that the SIT questioned former Travancore Devaswom Board president P.S. Prashanth in connection with the case. According to sources familiar with the investigation, Surendran was questioned specifically in his capacity as the minister overseeing the Devaswom portfolio at the time the gold theft occurred. Investigators are attempting to ascertain whether there was any administrative or political negligence that enabled the irregularities to take place.
Meanwhile, a fresh statement given by then Devaswom Board member N. Vijayakumar has added another layer to the case, further implicating the arrested former Devaswom Board president A. Padmakumar. In his statement to the SIT, Vijayakumar claimed that he was innocent and acted solely on the instructions of his “comrade”, Padmakumar. According to Vijayakumar, it was Padmakumar who placed before the board the proposal to alter the gold plating arrangements, and as president, he exercised complete control over all key decisions.
Vijayakumar told investigators that he signed the relevant documents without even reading them, trusting the president and remaining unaware of the legal implications. He claimed that he never anticipated the decision would lead to serious violations or criminal consequences. The pressure following the emergence of the case, Vijayakumar said, was so overwhelming that he even contemplated suicide. He stated that his eventual decision to surrender was taken only after repeated insistence from his relatives.
In his statement, Vijayakumar further claimed that all explanations and assurances were given by Padmakumar and that he merely signed documents in good faith. He added that he did not attempt to clarify or question other procedural aspects. However, the SIT has taken a firm view on this claim. In the remand report submitted to the Thiruvananthapuram Vigilance Court, the investigation team has clearly stated that Vijayakumar’s version lacks credibility and cannot be accepted at face value. With the arrests of Padmakumar and Vijayakumar, it has become evident that the SIT’s next focus is K.P. Shankardas, another former member of the Devaswom Board’s governing body. Investigators are closely monitoring Shankardas’s reported attempts to seek exemption from questioning on health grounds. While Vijayakumar has been remanded till January 12, the Kollam Vigilance Court is scheduled to consider his bail application on December 29.
The SIT has concluded that the governing body of the Travancore Devaswom Board, headed by Padmakumar at the time, committed grave procedural and legal lapses. Investigators found that even the Devaswom Manual was edited and rewritten to benefit Unnikrishnan Potty, an action carried out with the knowledge and consent of all three governing body members. The SIT has also discovered that official minutes were corrected retrospectively and new orders inserted in violation of established norms.
According to the investigation team, Padmakumar personally convinced members Vijayakumar and Shankardas to go along with these illegal actions. The SIT alleges that the violations were driven by personal interests and the prospect of substantial financial gains. Investigators have stated that Padmakumar has admitted to these irregularities during interrogation and that neither Vijayakumar nor Shankardas can evade responsibility by claiming ignorance. Padmakumar’s remand has now been extended by another 14 days, while the verdict on his bail application is expected on January 7.
Parallel to these developments, the SIT has taken decisive steps to widen the scope of the probe beyond Kerala. Dindigul-based businessman D. Mani and his associate Balamurugan are currently being questioned at the Crime Branch office in Inchakkal. Senior officer H. Venkatesh, an Additional Director General of Police, has also arrived at the SIT office to oversee the questioning. Balamurugan’s wife has been summoned and has reached the office as well.
The SIT team that travelled to Dindigal had earlier recorded Mani’s statement. Mani reportedly told investigators that he did not know Unnikrishnan Potty or others named in the case and claimed that his visit to Sabarimala was purely religious. However, the SIT found inconsistencies in his account and declined to accept his explanation. As a result, Mani was directed to appear again for detailed questioning.
Investigators are now examining Mani’s movements in Thiruvananthapuram, including his visit to the Padmanabhaswamy Mandir.
The probe has taken a more serious turn after an expatriate businessman informed the SIT that a group involving Mani had smuggled Panchaloha murti and that payments were handed over in Thiruvananthapuram.
The continued failure to recover the stolen gold and other valuables, even months after the investigation began, has placed the SIT under mounting pressure. With fresh leads emerging and multiple high-profile interrogations underway, investigators are now racing against time to trace the missing artefacts and establish the full extent of the conspiracy behind the Sabarimala gold theft.
