Sabarimala gold theft: Kerala BJP leader K. Surendran calls for Central agency probe

Former Kerala Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief K. Surendran stated that he does not trust the investigation carried out by the special investigation team (SIT) in the gold theft case linked to the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple and demanded an inquiry from a Central agency “to catch the real culprits”.

Addressing a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, January 2, 2026, Mr. Surendran also alleged that leaders of both the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) were involved in the theft.

“In the initial stages of the investigation, there was an impression that the SIT was on the right track. But as it progressed, the interventions from the top became stronger as it became clear that many big names were involved in the theft. After the SIT questioned former Dewaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran, the government is now trying to disrupt the investigation, realizing that fingers may point to the top,” he said.

Mr. Surendran also alleged that changes were made in the SIT to include “two CPI(M) cadres” as part of the team. The arrests so far have been made only due to the intervention of the Supreme Court. The SIT was reluctant to arrest several Devaswom Board members, including KP Sankar Das.

“None of the Congress leaders could come up with a convincing explanation for the photograph showing prime accused Unnikrishnan Potti and Bellari-based jeweler Govardhan with Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. Former Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala, who had earlier made allegations that an industrialist and international antiques mafia was involved, later went silent. What happened at Sabarimala seems to be not just gold theft but a much bigger case involving antiques. Smugglers,” he said.