Representational Purpose Only
Former TDB president P S Prasanth and board member A Ajikumar were arrested by the SIT on Thursday in connection with the Sabarimala gold loss case, officials said.
Prasanth and Ajikumar were taken into custody from their residences and shifted to the Kollam Police Club, where their arrests were formally recorded after they were questioned in the evening, sources said.
The Special Investigation Team is probing two cases relating to the alleged loss of gold from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and the doorframes of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) of the Sabarimala temple after they were taken for electroplating in 2019.
The SIT recently informed the Kerala High Court that it was also probing a similar electroplating exercise carried out in 2025, when Prasanth was the TDB president.
In a recent report filed before the Kerala High Court, the SIT said the probe into the alleged pilfering of gold during the September 2025 electroplating exercise had also been clubbed with the Dwarapalaka idol case.
The investigation team told the court that scientific findings received from the National Metallurgical Laboratory had provided fresh insights and a clearer understanding of the alleged modus operandi adopted by the accused in connection with the 2025 transactions.
