'Arrest Can Happen Anytime': Ex-TDB Chief's Explosive Claim Rocks Sabarimala Gold Case

The Sabarimala gold theft investigation took a fresh political turn on Thursday after former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president P S Prasanth claimed he fears imminent arrest and alleged that the ongoing probe is being driven by political pressure rather than evidence.

In a detailed Facebook post, Prasanth said the board he headed had functioned honestly and transparently and had, in fact, played a key role in bringing the alleged 2019 Sabarimala gold theft case to light. Despite this, he said, the board has now been named as an accused in the investigation.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is probing two separate cases involving gold allegedly lost from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and the Sreekovil doorframes after they were sent for electroplating in 2019. The probe has also been expanded to examine similar restoration work carried out in 2025, when Prasanth was serving as TDB president.

Claiming that arrests could happen at any moment, Prasanth alleged that the investigation was being influenced by the present government. He, however, said he would fully cooperate with the SIT, which is conducting the probe under the supervision of the Kerala High Court, while continuing to expose what he described as the political motives behind the case.

Prasanth maintained that the controversy stems from the removal of the Dwarapalaka sculptures for restoration in 2025. He asserted that the Travancore Devaswom Board did not incur any financial loss during the process and claimed that the quantity of gold in the sculptures had actually increased after restoration.

Rejecting allegations that the sculptures were removed without informing the Special Commissioner to shield those involved in the alleged 2019 gold theft, he termed the charge "bizarre." According to him, the decision to repair the sculptures was initiated well before his board assumed office, based on proposals submitted by the Sabarimala Executive Officer.

After taking charge in November 2023, Prasanth said the board received repeated complaints from temple staff about cracks in the sculptures that caused injuries during cleaning inside the sanctum sanctorum after ghee abhishekam, leading to ritual impurity due to blood spilling near the shrine.

He said the board subsequently directed officials to initiate legal procedures, and when the proposal came before the board, it decided that Devaswom officials, along with the Vigilance wing, would supervise the transportation, restoration and reinstallation of the sculptures instead of handing them over to a private sponsor.

Prasanth claimed the sculptures were removed in the presence of the Thiruvabharana Commissioner, Vigilance officials and other authorities. Their weight and gold content were documented, the entire procedure was videographed, and the restoration was carried out under official supervision.

He acknowledged that the Special Commissioner was not informed before the removal of the sculptures but described it as an administrative omission by officials rather than a decision of the board. According to him, after restoration, the sculptures were reinstalled in the presence of the temple Tantri, the Special Commissioner and Vigilance officials, with records showing an increase in both weight and gold content.

The former TDB chief further said the previous LDF government and the then Devaswom Board had themselves sought an SIT investigation based on observations made by the High Court. He alleged that despite providing all records sought by investigators and the court, the board has now been implicated due to political pressure.

Prasanth insisted he has no regrets over approving the restoration work, saying the decision was taken solely to address ritual concerns at the temple and not to benefit any individual.