Thiruvananthapuram, June 29 -- Raising the stakes in the intensifying legal battle surrounding Lord Ayyappa's temple, Kerala Devaswom and Health Minister K Muraleedharan declared that anyone found responsible for the high-profile Sabarimala gold misappropriation scandal will face uncompromising punishment.

The Minister's statement comes in the wake of a crucial Special Investigation Team (SIT) report submitted to the Kerala High Court, which revealed "overwhelming evidence" against seven prominent individuals, including former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) President P S Prasanth. Clarifying the state's executive boundary, Muraleedharan emphasised that the probe is being driven exclusively under judicial oversight.

Addressing local rep...