The Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the alleged gold loss at Sabarimala temple is poised to submit its initial progress report to the Kerala High Court. Police sources confirmed this development on Monday, October 20, 2025.
The case is scheduled for another hearing before the division bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan and K.V. Jayakumar on Tuesday, October 21, 2025.
According to sources, the SIT intends to present this report on the same day. Officials indicated that the report would detail the investigation’s current status, including the arrest of Bengaluru resident Unnikrishnan Potti, who had funded the gold electroplating of copper plates for the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) door frames back in 2019.
Sources further added that the report would also encompass details of the investigation conducted in Chennai, the location where the gold plating work on the plates took place.
When the High Court handed over the case to the SIT, it stipulated that a progress report be submitted within two weeks and set a six-week deadline for the entire investigation to conclude.
The SIT has formally registered two separate cases concerning the missing gold from both the Dwarapalaka idols’ plates and the Sreekovil door frames. A total of ten individuals, including Mr. Potti and several Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) officials, have been named as accused. The SIT plans to question the remaining accused parties shortly.
Concurrently, the amicus curiae, retired High Court judge Justice KT Sankaran, who was tasked with creating an inventory of all valuables, including gold, at the sacred hill shrine, is also anticipated to present his preliminary report during Tuesday’s hearing.
Justice Sankaran personally visited Sabarimala last week to inspect the strong rooms as part of his duties.
In a related development, Sunny Joseph, president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), has accused the government of shielding those implicated in the Sabarimala case.
Joseph criticized the timing of arrests, stating, “Even though the court ordered the SIT probe on October 6, the arrest was made only on October 16. While Congress workers are apprehended within hours in other cases, individuals accused of stealing gold worth crores of rupees from Sabarimala appear to be enjoying impunity. The government is intentionally protecting them.”