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A Padmakumar, the former president of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), has been arrested by the special investigation team (SIT) probing the theft of gold-plated copper panels from the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple. The arrest was recorded in Thiruvananthapuram at around 3 pm on Thursday, November 20, after Padmakumar was brought in for questioning.
According to reports, the SIT believes Padmakumar conspired with the main accused, a priest-turned-businessman named Unnikrishnan Potti. It has also reportedly received indications of a financial transaction between the two. Other accused persons previously arrested in the case have reportedly provided statements against Padmakumar. This includes allegations that key instructions for the alleged gold theft were issued on his advice.
Another former TDB president, N Vasu, was arrested by the SIT on November 11 and was remanded to SIT custody till 4 pm on Thursday. He was taken into custody after investigators reportedly found evidence linking him to irregularities in the documentation of the temple’s gold assets.
What is the Sabarimala gold theft case?
The issue began on September 10 when the Special Commissioner of Sabarimala reported to the Kerala High Court that gold cladding from the dwarapalakas and peedams that are fixed on either side of the sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) were removed for renovation without intimating him in advance. The Special Commissioner informed the court that the gold cladding was detached on September 7 to be sent to a Chennai-based firm for repair.
The High Court then initiated suo motu proceedings after finding discrepancies in the weight of items handed over after a similar renovation in 2019. The court found that the items returned after renovation weighed only 38.258 kg.
The alleged theft involves 475 grams of gold (around 56 sovereigns) from the dwarapalaka sculptures and kattilappadi (threshold) of the sreekovil.
The SIT has filed two first information reports. One pertains to the irregularities in the gold-plated panels of the dwarapalaka idols, while the other involves the misappropriation of gold from the lintel and side frames of the sreekovil.
In addition to Padmakumar and Vasu, the SIT has so far arrested Unnikrishnan Potti, TDB official Murari Babu, and former TDB official Sudheesh Kumar. Potti is named in both FIRs.
Explained: The controversy over missing gold at Sabarimala temple