The Kerala High Court-appointed special investigation team (SIT) probing the pilferage of the gold-plated copper panels from the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in 2019 is reportedly weighing whether to bring retired and serving Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) officials indicted in the sensational case, including high-profile political appointees, under the ambit of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Officials say that if so, the SIT will likely file a report with the Inquiry Commissioner and Special Judge (Vigilance), Kollam, which also has jurisdiction over Pathanamthitta district.
Former Travancore Devaswom Board Commissioner N. Vasu arrested in Sabarimala gold theft case
The SIT’s move assumes political and legal significance as the high-profile investigation edges closer to higher-ups in the TDB.
Officials say the SIT had sought the High Court’s prior sanction to invoke the Act to plug potential legal loopholes, such as the probable complexity of proving that the indicted TDB officials had a direct inculpatory role in the alleged embezzlement.
