Sabarimala gold theft case: Kerala SIT arrests former Thiruvabharanam temple Commissioner KS Baiju

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], November 7 (ANI): The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Kerala Crime Branch has arrested former Thiruvabharanam temple Commissioner KS Baiju in the Sabarimala gold theft case.
KS Baiju will be produced before the court today.
Earlier on Thursday, Congress MLA Sunny Joseph Thursday alleged that the Pinarayi Vijayan led Kerala government has been indifferent over the Sabarimala gold theft case.
The Congress MLA further alleged that the government is unable to arrest the culprits and accused the government of betraying the devotees.
"Kerala Government continues to remain indifferent in the Sabarimala gold theft case. The investigation is dragging on like a snail. They are unable to put the culprits in handcuffs. The government has betrayed the devotees. Sabarimala issue is being viewed with utmost seriousness. Although the Special Investigation Team was appointed by the court, it functions under the Home Department," said Joseph.
Meanwhile, Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar demanded a central investigation into Sabarimala Gold theft and an audit of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB).
This comes after the Kerala High Court granted permission to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a scientific examination as part of its ongoing investigation into the alleged case.
The Sabarimala gold controversy involves alleged irregularities concerning the gold plating work at the Sabarimala temple. This situation arose from a donation of 30.3 kilograms of gold and 1,900 kilograms of copper by industrialist Vijay Mallya in 1998, intended for cladding the sanctum sanctorum and wooden carvings of the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in Kerala.
Unnikrishnan Potti, the prime accused, was reportedly taken into custody by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on October 17. The SIT, which is investigating the matter, submitted its second report to the Kerala High Court on Wednesday, revealing serious irregularities in the minutes of the Travancore Devaswom Board. According to the SIT report, the record book does not include details about the transfer of the dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idol to Unnikrishnan Potti in 2019.
Furthermore, the report indicates that no entries have been made after July 28, 2025. It also notes that the documentation regarding the transfer of gold platings to Smart Creations, the firm responsible for the electroplating of gold-clad copper coverings for the idols at the Sabarimala Ayyappan Temple is missing from the minutes book. Currently, the SIT has requested permission to conduct a scientific investigation to determine the actual weight of the gold-plated idols before and after restoration. (ANI)