Kerala High Court on Monday slammed the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) during the hearing of a gold theft case at Sabarimala temple. Justice A. Badharudeen questioned why all major works such as gold plating of door frames and Dwarapalaka idols were given to businessman Unnikrishnan Potti, the prime accused in the case. "What role did the board play if these important tasks were solely entrusted to him?" the court asked. The court was hearing bail pleas of former TDB president A. Padmakumar, gold merchant Govardhan from Bellary, and former executive officer Murari Babu, all named accused. Govardhan defended himself saying, "I had been in prison for 25 days, although I spent ₹1.40 crore from my own pocket for different works in Sabarimala." The Special Investigation Team (SIT) opposed the bail applications, citing the accused's "major role" in the alleged gold misappropriation and the need for their continued custody. The case continues to unfold as the court probes deeper into the deception behind the sacred temple's gold.