Thiruvananthapuram, July 23 (IANS) With the Kerala High Court directing the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to expedite the Sabarimala gold misappropriation probe, former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president P.S. Prasanth was taken into custody from his residence in the state capital on Thursday.Two former TDB presidents, both CPI(M) leaders, after being arrested and in jail, are now out on bail.Prasanth’s arrest comes barely days after the SIT informed the High Court that it would file th…
Latest Travancore Devaswom Board News & Updates
Kochi, July 20 (IANS) The long-running probe into the alleged Sabarimala gold misappropriation case has entered its final phase, with the Kerala High Court directing the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to complete the investigation without further delay. The SIT informed the court on Monday that it would file the final report in one of the two cases it is investigating within 30 days.All the accused in the case were granted statutory bail after the prescribed period, with the SIT failing to fil…
Thiruvananthapuram, July 11 (IANS) In a significant development ahead of the annual Sabarimala pilgrimage season beginning in November, Kandararu Rajeevaru, who was slated to assume charge as the hereditary chief priest (Tantri) of the famed hill shrine, has requested the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) not to consider his appointment this year, citing ill health.In a letter submitted to the Board on Saturday, Rajeevaru cited ill health as the reason for stepping aside and requested that his s…
Thiruvananthapuram, July 10 (IANS) In a major overhaul of the Sabarimala pilgrimage, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) on Friday announced a series of sweeping reforms, including complete digitisation of pilgrim services, AI-based crowd management and a significant expansion of online accommodation booking, ahead of the two-month annual pilgrimage season beginning in the middle of November. Announcing the measures, TDB President K. Jayakumar made it clear that the Ayyappa Sangamam would no lon…
Kochi, June 29 (IANS) The Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the alleged Sabarimala gold misappropriation case, on Monday widened its investigation by naming former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) President P.S. Prasanth, former Board member A. Ajikumar and the then Board members as accused, making it the third successive board to face criminal proceedings in the high-profile case.Prasanth was a Congress leader and, after unsuccessfully contesting the 2021 Assembly polls, joined the CPI-M…
Kochi, June 13 (IANS) Travancore Devaswom Board’s former Administrative Officer and Sabarimala gold scam second accused Murari Babu died at a private hospital, where he was undergoing treatment for cancer, here on Saturday.Murari Babu was under investigation in connection with the alleged theft of gold-plated panels from the Sabarimala temple’s door frames and ‘Dwarapalaka’ (guardian deity) sculptures.A native of Perunna in Changanassery, ge died at Amrita Hospital after being diagnosed with c…
Pathanamthitta (Kerala), June 11 (IANS) The political future of former CPI-M MLA and Travancore Devaswom Board president A. Padmakumar appears headed for a decisive point, with the party preparing to discuss disciplinary action against him over the Sabarimala gold case controversy.The Pathanamthitta District Committee, Padmakumar’s home district unit, has been entrusted with examining the action to be taken, and the meeting scheduled for June 15 is expected to be crucial.The development assume…
New Delhi, April 15 (IANS) As a nine-judge Constitution Bench continued hearing the Sabarimala review reference involving the interplay between religious freedom and fundamental rights, the Supreme Court on Wednesday orally remarked that one of the most difficult tasks for a constitutional court is to declare the beliefs of millions of people as erroneous. The Constitution Bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, observed submissions by senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi,…
Kollam (Kerala), April 13 (IANS) In a significant development in the Sabarimala temple gold scam case, a court in Kerala’s Kollam on Monday granted bail to K.P. Sankaradas, the last remaining accused in custody among the 13 persons arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT).The SIT was constituted under the directions of the Kerala High Court to probe alleged irregularities involving gold offerings at the Sabarimala Temple.With Sankaradas securing bail, all the accused in the two cases reg…
New Delhi, April 7 (IANS) A nine-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant is slated to hear on Tuesday the long-pending Sabarimala review matter, involving a batch of petitions raising significant constitutional questions on religious freedom and gender equality. As per the cause list published on the official website of the Supreme Court, the Constitution Bench, also comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna, M.M. Sundresh, Ahsanuddin Amanullah, Aravind Kumar, A.G. M…