Overview
- The High Court notified parties on a Viswa Hindu Parishad petition seeking a CBI investigation and comprehensive audits of temple valuables across Kerala.
- A court-directed Special Investigation Team has filed two FIRs, naming sponsor Unnikrishnan Potty as the first accused and arraigning 2019 Travancore Devaswom Board members including ex-president A. Padmakumar.
- Charges cited include theft, criminal breach of trust and forgery after gold-clad panels and door frames were taken for re-plating in Chennai in violation of Devaswom rules.
- The Travancore Devaswom Board Vigilance report says Potty lacked a stable income and that several works credited to him were actually funded by other businessmen, while documenting chain-of-custody lapses.
- Investigators have moved to Chennai and plan inquiries in Bengaluru and Hyderabad as the Enforcement Directorate gathers preliminary financial information tied to the case.