Kochi: The question has sparked curiosity among the public: why has KP Sankaradas, a former Devaswom Board member, not yet been arrested in the Sabarimala gold theft case? He is the only remaining accused from the 2019 board yet to face custody.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has delayed action against him, drawing attention amid ongoing scrutiny of the case.

The delay has already attracted criticism from the Kerala High Court. On December 19, the single bench asked why all board members who made collective decisions about the gold theft were not being named as accused, stressing that responsibility could not be fixed selectively.

Following the court’s observations, the SIT submitted a report to the Kollam Vigilance Court on December 24, officially naming KP Sankaradas and another former board member, Vijayakumar, as accused.

The SIT later cited Sankaradas’s serious health issues, including memory loss, as the reason for postponing arrest. His medical records were reviewed by a panel of specialist doctors, who confirmed his acute medical condition. Based on this assessment, the SIT has decided not to proceed with arrest at this stage.

Next steps under review

The investigation team is consulting legal experts on whether arrest proceedings can be avoided altogether, considering the High Court’s firm stance in pending bail matters. Any further action will depend on a fresh assessment of Sankaradas’s health as he continues treatment.