The Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the Sabarimala gold theft case, questioned former Devaswom Minister and CPM leader Kadakampally Surendran in connection with the case.

According to sources, the SIT questioned Surendran in his capacity as the minister in charge of the Devaswom at the time of the alleged theft in 2019. Former Devaswom Board president P S Prasanth was also questioned on Saturday as part of the probe.

The questioning took place outside the SIT office under the leadership of SP Sashidharan and lasted for nearly two hours.  Surendran later confirmed the development to the media, saying the SIT questioned him in his capacity as the former Devaswom Minister and that he shared all information known to him.

The Sabarimala gold theft case involves the alleged misappropriation of several kilograms of gold from the temple’s Dwarapalaka idols and doors. Investigators found that the gold was removed, sold and replaced with copper plates. The revelations led to the arrest of former temple officials and businessmen and triggered political controversy, prompting court-mandated investigations to recover assets and identify all those responsible.

On Monday, the SIT arrested former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) member N Vijayakumar in connection with the case. Earlier, the SIT had arrested former TDB presidents A Padmakumar and N Vasu for their alleged roles.

Officials said the probe gained momentum after the Kerala High Court made strong observations over delays in the investigation.