The Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the Sabarimala gold theft case has arrested the temple's chief priest, Kandararu Rajeevaru. The arrest occurred on Friday, January 9, 2026, following extensive questioning. Rajeevaru was subsequently remanded in judicial custody for 14 days. The primary reason for his arrest is his alleged close association with the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potti, and his perceived 'silent permission' or direct recommendation for the replating of the 'dwarapalaka' (guardian deity) idols and 'sreekovil' (sanctum sanctorum) doorframe gold-clad plates outside the temple premises in 2019. Investigators claim Potti had visited Sabarimala as an associate of the tantri, and sponsorship permissions granted to Potti were deemed questionable, with suspicions of a close relationship between Rajeevaru and Potti. Rajeevaru is the 11th or 12th person to be arrested in the high-profile case, which centres on allegations that gold-plated copper encasings from the temple, originally donated by industrialist Vijay Mallya in 1998, were misappropriated during replating work in 2019. The SIT's probe, supervised by the Kerala High Court, has also indicted Rajeevaru for criminal complicity, conspiracy, misappropriation of temple property, and abuse of power for gain. Further escalating the investigation, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). This central agency's involvement will focus on tracing the alleged proceeds of crime and examining financial transactions, widening the scope to include money laundering aspects. Former Travancore Devaswom Board president A. Padmakumar is also implicated, with the SIT freezing his bank accounts as part of the ongoing investigation. The ongoing investigation has attracted significant attention due to the religious importance of the Sabarimala temple and the alleged organised nature of the crime, with the SIT indicating that more prominent figures could be arrested.