Former TDB Chief P S Prasanth Denies Involvement in Sabarimala Gold Theft Case; Claims Conspiracy
Thiruvananthapuram: Former Travancore Devaswom Board president P. S. Prasanth on Thursday denied any involvement in the Sabarimala gold theft case, which pertains to the alleged misappropriation of gold from the dwarapalaka sculptures, and dismissed accusations that he conspired with sponsor Unnikrishnan Potti to replate temple artefacts as baseless.
Prasanth stated that the only procedural lapse in the matter was that gold had been removed from the temple in 2025 without informing the court. However, he maintained that no gold had gone missing and asserted that the procedures followed in 2025 were significantly more stringent than those adopted in 2019.
Claiming that his inclusion as an accused was the result of a conspiracy, Prasanth said he would initiate legal action against those responsible. He added that he would cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation and present his arguments before the court.
According to Prasanth, the controversy resurfaced after Unnikrishnan Potti disclosed on September 20, 2025, that the gold-plated pedestal of a dwarapalaka sculpture was missing. An initial search led by the district police chief failed to trace the artefact, but it was later recovered from the residence of a relative of the sculptor in Venjaramoodu.
Prasanth noted that the alleged gold misappropriation incident linked to 2019 did not come to light until the discovery of the missing pedestal. He pointed out that all files connected to the case had been submitted before the court by the Travancore Devaswom Board during his tenure.
“Had there been any intention to suppress the facts, those files could easily have been altered or withheld,” he said.
He further emphasised that it was the Devaswom Board itself that had sought a comprehensive investigation into the matter and reiterated his commitment to ensuring a transparent probe by extending full cooperation to investigators.