The Kollam Vigilance court on Thursday (September 3, 2026) granted bail to former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president P.S. Prasanth, who was arrested in connection with the alleged loss of gold from Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple.
Considering the bail plea, Judge Mohit C.S. granted bail to Mr. Prasanth after considering his medical condition.
Mr. Prasanth was shifted from jail to a hospital in Thiruvananthapuram last month after suffering a brain haemorrhage. The court had earlier dismissed his bail petition, following which filed a fresh petition was filed citing the requirement for advanced medical treatment. After examining his medical records, the court has granted him bail this time.
Mr. Prasanth, arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on July 23, is the 17th accused in the case relating to the alleged theft of gold from the Dwarapalaka sculpture panels at Sabarimala.
According to the SIT remand report, Mr. Prasanth, then TDB president, and board members Ajikumar and G Sundaresan had approved a 2024 decision to undertake maintenance of the Dwarapalaka panels. The work, however, could not be carried out as the annual pilgrimage season was approaching.
The SIT alleged that despite Thiruvabharanam Commissioner Rejilal recommending the traditional method, the TDB entrusted the gold-plating work to Smart Creations, which lacked the technology to recover and reuse the existing gold. The decision was allegedly aimed at concealing the loss of gold during the 2019 maintenance work, the SIT said.
Published – September 03, 2026 01:54 pm IST
