Sabarimala gold theft case: SIT secures custody of former TDB president P.S. Prasanth and A. Ajikumar
A Special Investigation Team has secured one-day custody of former Travancore Devaswom Board officials in connection with a gold theft case at the Sabarimala temple. The investigation focuses on alleged fraudulent activities and attempts to cover up previous thefts involving temple artifacts.
Why it matters
The case involves the integrity of religious institutions and the accountability of public officials managing temple assets.
Former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president P.S. Prasanth and board member A. Ajikumar have been remanded to one-day custody in connection with the Sabarimala gold theft case. The Kollam Vigilance Court granted the custody request made by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), ordering the duo to be produced back before the court by Tuesday (July 28, 2026) evening. Both accused are currently held in remand at a jail in Thiruvananthapuram.
The SIT moved the court for the custody to carry out detailed interrogations after discovering critical leads in the scam.
According to the investigation, the TDB under Mr. Prasanth’s tenure in 2025 dispatched gold plates to Smart Creations in Chennai in an attempt to cover up a previous gold theft that occurred in 2019. Investigators now plan to interrogate both Mr. Prasanth and Mr. Ajikumar together during this custody period to uncover deeper operational details and expose additional conspirators.
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