The Crime Branch on Saturday registered two First Information Reports in the Sabarimala missing gold case. The reports will now be handed over to a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for further inquiry.

While Unnikrishnan Potty has been named as the main accused, the SIT will later decide whether Devaswom officials and others should also be listed as accused. The team will also handle all complaints filed at various police stations.

According to sources, two separate FIRs have been registered: one concerning the gold-clad panels of the Dwarapalaka idols, and the other related to the door frames. The investigation will examine charges of unauthorised extraction, illegal transportation, and fraudulent transactions.

On Friday, the Kerala High Court directed the state police to register a criminal case over the suspected misappropriation of gold from the side frames or lintels of the shrine and initiate a formal investigation.

The High Court order cites findings from the Chief Vigilance and Security Officer, Devaswom, which revealed serious malpractice regarding the door frames. The probe found that approximately 474.9 grams of gold were handed over to Unnikrishnan Potty, with no records indicating that the gold was ever returned to the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB). The court noted that the mischaracterisation of gold-clad items as “copper plates,” unauthorised extraction of gold, and misappropriation of the extracted gold prima facie constitute serious offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

While the investigation initially focused on the Dwarapalaka idols, it uncovered significant malpractice related to the door frames as well. The probe also highlighted a mismatch in internal communications within the TDB.