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The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the disappearance of gold from the Sabarimala temple, on Tuesday, November 11, arrested former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president N Vasu. The arrest comes after two days of questioning at the Crime Branch office, and marks one of the most high-profile developments in the case so far.
Vasu, who had earlier served twice as TDB Commissioner before becoming its president, was taken into custody after investigators reportedly found evidence linking him to irregularities in the documentation of the temple’s gold assets. According to SIT, gold used for plating the sanctum sanctorum (Sreekovil) door frames had allegedly been recorded as copper on Vasu’s instructions. He will be produced before the Ranni court later on November 11.
The case pertains to the disappearance of gold from the door frames and the dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols of the Sabarimala temple, part of a gold-plating project undertaken during renovation works. The prime accused, contractor Unnikrishnan Potti, along with two serving TDB officials and a retired officer, had already been arrested in connection with the alleged misappropriation.
The Kerala High Court, which is monitoring the SIT probe, recently granted the investigating team permission to conduct a scientific examination to determine the extent of gold loss. On November 5, the court authorised the collection of samples from various parts of the temple, including the newly installed Sreekovil door, amid suspicions of large-scale fraud during the replacement process.
In its observations, the High Court noted that serious irregularities had been reported against Potti and questioned the level of freedom and support extended to him by senior TDB officials during the project. The court remarked that such lapses reflected deeper issues of accountability within the Board.