As the Kerala Assembly elections draw closer, the Sabarimala gold loot case is rapidly turning into a major political flashpoint. While the Special Investigation Team (SIT) continues its probe under the High Court’s supervision, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has now entered the scene, launching a parallel investigation into the money laundering linked to the gold theft. The ED is also preparing to scrutinise the financial affairs of the Travancore Devaswom Board. With these developments, it is almost certain that the Sabarimala gold theft case will dominate political discourse in the run-up to the elections.
There are now strong indications that the Sabarimala gold robbery case is heading towards a third criminal case. The SIT has decided to register a fresh FIR regarding the controversial decision to reinstall the temple’s Dwaja sthambham (flagpole). An FIR is expected to be filed shortly, although it has not yet been finalised who will be named as the accused. Since the decision regarding the Dwaja sthambham was taken during the tenure of the Congress -Muslim League-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government, there are signs that this new case could be used politically to put the UDF on the defensive.
Ironically, the earlier phases of the Sabarimala gold robbery case had politically benefited the UDF the most, especially during the local body elections. The investigation, which began with the case involving the missing door guard panels, has now reached a stage where it could expand into multiple interconnected cases.
The SIT is preparing for a comprehensive probe into the removal and reinstallation of the Dwaja sthambham. A new FIR will be registered to formally initiate this line of investigation. Investigators have expressed serious doubts about the circumstances under which the decision to reinstall the Dwaja sthambham was taken. The High Court, in a recent order, stated that the original Dwaja sthambham had begun to decay and deteriorate, thereby justifying its replacement.
However, according to information that has now emerged, the Dwaja sthambham that was dismantled was not purely wooden, as officially claimed. Instead, it is reported that it consisted of a gold-plated pole mounted on a concrete pillar. The Travancore Devaswom Board does not possess any official records regarding the concrete quality or the flagpole’s actual age. This lack of documentation has become a major point of suspicion for the SIT. The decision to reinstall the flagpole was reportedly taken in 2014, and the SIT has decided to examine every step taken in connection with this project up to that year. The investigation will cover everything, from how the concrete base was broken to how the project sponsor was identified in Hyderabad. Preliminary inquiries are expected to begin soon. Officials have indicated that once charge sheets are filed in the Dwarapalaka idol and Kattilappadi ( Door frame) gold theft cases, a separate FIR will be formally registered in connection with the Dwaja sthambham installation. The list of accused will be finalised only after further investigation.
Meanwhile, the ED has signalled that it may expand its investigation beyond the gold theft to include other alleged financial irregularities at Sabarimala. The agency has stated that it has received credible information about irregularities in the handling of temple donations. The ED had previously conducted a preliminary inquiry into these allegations, and it found that financial anomalies were indeed detected. The ED has also received information suggesting that irregularities occurred in financial transactions linked to certain temple rituals. Officials have said the agency is continuing its investigation to identify who benefited from funds allegedly siphoned off through fraudulent means. This expansion of scope indicates that the case may soon grow into a far wider probe into the shrine’s financial governance.
As part of its ongoing operations, the ED has conducted searches at 21 locations connected to the gold theft case. These include the residence of the main accused, Unnikrishnan Potty, in Pulimath, Thiruvananthapuram; the house of former Devaswom Commissioner and Devaswom Board President N. Vasu in Pettah, and the residence of former Devaswom Board President A. Padmakumar in Aranmula. The agency has also searched the home of gold trader Govardhan in Bellary, Karnataka.
Searches are further being carried out at the Bengaluru office of Smart Creations and at the headquarters of the Travancore Devaswom Board. The primary focus of these raids is on identifying assets and obtaining details of bank accounts linked to the accused. ED units from Kochi, Kozhikode, and Bengaluru are jointly conducting these operations. In Thiruvananthapuram alone, searches are reportedly underway at three different locations.
Sources indicate that the investigation is likely to move towards more prominent and influential individuals in the coming days. If that happens, the political and administrative ramifications could be far-reaching. With both the SIT and the ED digging deeper and the Assembly elections looming, the Sabarimala gold theft case is poised to remain at the centre of Kerala’s political storm for the foreseeable future.
The Sabarimala gold theft case is set to expand into a third criminal case, with the Special Investigation Team preparing to register a fresh FIR over the reinstallation of the temple flagpole. At the same time, the Enforcement Directorate has widened its probe into alleged money laundering and financial irregularities linked to the shrine.
