Published Jul 23, 2026 | 3:07 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 23, 2026 | 3:07 PM
Former president PS Prasanth. (Supplied)
Synopsis: As the Sabarimala gold theft investigation enters a crucial phase, former Travancore Devaswom Board president P.S. Prasanth has been arrested over allegations that a fresh round of gold plating in 2025 was used to mask an earlier theft of temple gold. His arrest, hours after he claimed on Facebook that his arrest was imminent and politically driven, makes him the third TDB president to come under police arrest in the case.
The Kerala High Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Thursday, 23 July, arrested former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president PS Prasanth in the Sabarimala gold theft case, making him the third TDB president during the Pinarayi Vijayan government’s tenure to face arrest in connection with the high-profile investigation.
Prasanth was taken into custody from his residence in Thiruvananthapuram early on Thursday and shifted to the Kollam Police Club for interrogation. While officials initially did not immediately confirm whether he had been formally arrested, the move came just hours after Prasanth publicly declared on Facebook that he expected to be taken into custody “at any moment.” Later, his arrest was recorded. It’s said that he will soon be produced before the Vigilance Court, Kollam.
His arrest marks a significant development in the long-running probe, which has widened beyond the alleged misappropriation of gold from the Sabarimala temple to include accusations that temple authorities attempted to conceal the earlier fraud through a fresh round of gold plating in 2025.
With Prasanth’s arrest, he joins former TDB presidents N Vasu and A Padmakumar, both of whom had earlier been arrested during different stages of the investigation.
The latest action follows submissions made by the SIT before the Kerala High Court, where investigators stated that seven individuals, including Prasanth, were directly involved in sending the temple’s gold-covered Dwarapalaka sculptures to Chennai for electroplating in 2025.
According to the investigation, the work was allegedly undertaken not as a genuine restoration exercise but as part of a conspiracy to cover up the theft of gold that is believed to have taken place during restoration work carried out in 2019.
The SIT has concluded that the 2025 gold plating was undertaken in violation of established procedures and has gathered evidence supporting charges of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and forgery under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Investigators suspect that the then TDB administration cited defects that either did not exist or were exaggerated to justify sending the gold-plated copper coverings of the Dwarapalaka sculptures to Smart Creations, a Chennai-based metal works firm, thereby concealing the alleged earlier pilferage of the precious metal.
Minutes before investigators arrived, Prasanth published a detailed Facebook post claiming that he had received reliable information indicating his arrest was imminent.
An excerpt of the Facebook post by P.S. Prashanth
He alleged that political pressure from the State government lay behind the action and maintained that his board had actually exposed the 2019 Sabarimala gold theft rather than participating in it.
“Our board, which honestly worked to bring the 2019 Sabarimala gold theft to light, has now also been made an accused,” he wrote.
Prasanth said he respected the Constitution and the judicial process and would cooperate fully with the investigation, particularly since the matter is being monitored by the Supreme Court.
At the same time, he asserted that he would reveal what he described as the political motivations behind the investigation.
“There is no regret for what was done for the Lord with honesty and devotion. Ultimately, the truth will prevail,” he wrote.
Prasanth also defended the controversial decision taken in 2025 to remove the Dwarapalaka sculptures for fresh gold plating.
According to him, the repair process had actually begun nearly six months before his board assumed office, with officials initiating files relating to defects in the temple doors, door frames and Dwarapalaka sculptures without the knowledge of the incoming Board.
He maintained that his administration later decided to proceed only after receiving complaints from Sannidhanam staff regarding the condition of the structures.
Insisting that no financial loss had been caused to the Devaswom Board, he argued that every decision had been taken in good faith and strictly in the interest of preserving the temple.
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In its report before the High Court last month, the SIT identified seven persons as being directly involved in the alleged conspiracy surrounding the 2025 gold plating exercise.
Besides Prashanth, those named include TDB member Adv. A. Ajikumar, sponsor Unnikrishnan Potty, Sabarimala Thantri Kandararu Rajeevaru, former Executive Officer Murari Babu, Thiruvabharanam Commissioner Rejilal and Pankaj Bhandari, proprietor of Chennai-based Smart Creations.
The SIT is simultaneously examining the roles of several others connected with the restoration work and administrative approvals. These include TDB member Sundaresan, Board Secretary Bindu, Thantri Mahesh Mohanar, Thiruvabharanam Commissioner Sunila, Executive Officer O.G. Biju, Administrative Officer Srinivas, Assistant Executive Officer Hemanth, Bellary-based jeweller Govardhan and former Executive Officer VS Rajendra Prasad.
Investigators say they have collected substantial evidence against the accused to support allegations of conspiracy, breach of trust and forgery.
The investigation has its origins in allegations that gold was siphoned off during restoration work undertaken in 2019 on the temple’s gold-covered Dwarapalaka sculptures.
In a report submitted before the Kerala High Court on 30 June, the SIT said the idols, originally covered with gold in 1998, were transported to Chennai in 2019 at the request of sponsor Unnikrishnan Potty.
According to investigators, officials deliberately described the gold-covered sculptures merely as “copper plates” while granting permission for their transportation, thereby concealing their actual nature.
The SIT believes the original gold cladding was removed and replaced with a thin layer of electroplated gold, allowing the remaining gold to be misappropriated.
When the plating later began deteriorating, investigators allege that another proposal for re-plating was floated in 2025 to hide evidence of the earlier theft.
At that stage, the SIT informed the High Court that the investigation into the alleged theft from the temple’s gold-clad door frames had been completed except for submission of the final report, while the Dwarapalaka idols investigation required additional time pending expert opinions from the CSIR-National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur, and the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.
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The controversy had taken an unexpected turn in October 2025 when Prasanth himself, while serving as TDB president, publicly questioned aspects of the original 2019 restoration work.
He had suggested that the Board may have erred in entrusting the repair work to Unnikrishnan Potty, a former temple helper who later emerged as the central accused in the case.
Prasanth revealed that the Chennai firm engaged for the restoration had issued a 40-year warranty not in the name of the Travancore Devaswom Board but in Potty’s name as the original purchaser.
According to him, this unusual arrangement later compelled the Board to seek Potty’s assistance once again during the 2025 repairs because the warranty remained in his name rather than that of the temple administration.
The SIT informed the Kerala High Court on 20 July that it is likely to file its final report within 30 days in the case relating to the alleged theft of gold from the temple’s gold-clad door frames.
The update came after investigators received the final scientific report from the CSIR-National Metallurgical Laboratory in Jamshedpur on 6 July.
A Division Bench comprising Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and K.V. Jayakumar recorded the submission after examining the latest investigation report.
According to the SIT, the investigation into the door frame case has been substantially completed and the process of obtaining prosecution sanction will begin after the final report is filed.
The alleged diversion of gold from the Dwarapalaka sculptures has since been merged with an earlier case. The High Court directed the SIT to expedite that investigation and submit its final report at the earliest, posting the matter for further consideration on 3 September.
Throughout the investigation, Prasanth has consistently denied any involvement in the alleged fraud, maintaining that he had no prior knowledge of any misappropriation, had met Unnikrishnan Potty only once after assuming office in 2023 and that the Travancore Devaswom Board had extended full cooperation to investigators.
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
