Unnikrishnan Potti, prime accused in the Sabarimala gold theft case. File | Photo credit: ANI
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Sabarimala gold loss is expected to submit its first report on the proceedings to the Kerala High Court soon, police sources said on Monday (Oct 20, 2025).
A division bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan and KV Jayakumar will hear the case again on Tuesday (October 21, 2025).
Sources told PTI that the SIT plans to submit its report on the same day. Officials said the report will cover the current status of the investigation, including the arrest of Bengaluru-based Unnikrishnan Potti, who in 2019 sponsored the electroplating of gold-plated copper plates on the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and door frames of the Sreekovil sanctorum (sanctum).
It will also detail the investigation carried out in Chennai where the plates were electroplated, sources said.
The Supreme Court, while assigning the case to the SIT, directed the team to submit a progress report within two weeks and set a six-week deadline to complete the investigation.
The SIT has registered two cases related to gold missing from the labels of the Dwarapalaka idols and Sreekovil door frames. As many as 10 persons, including Mr. Potti and officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), have been charged in both cases. The SIT is expected to interrogate other accused persons soon.
The amicus curiae, former Supreme Court judge Justice KT Sankaran, tasked with preparing the inventory of valuables, including the gold in the hill shrine, is expected to submit a preliminary report on Tuesday (October 21) when the case comes up for hearing.
Justice Sankaran visited Sabarimala last week and inspected the security rooms.
Meanwhile, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph claimed that the government is protecting the accused persons in the Sabarimala case.
“Though the court ordered an SIT probe on October 6, the arrest was made only on October 16. When Congress workers are arrested within hours in other cases, those accused of stealing crores of gold from Sabarimala are roaming free. The government is deliberately protecting them,” he said.
Published – 20 October 2025 16:34 IST
