Ex Temple Board President Arrested In Sabarimala Gold Heist Case

In a major setback to the Kerala government and the ruling Left Democratic Front, the Special Investigation Team probing the Sabarimala temple gold heist arrested former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president A Padmakumar in Kerala's Aranmula on Thursday.  

Padmakumar, who appeared before the SIT on Thursday morning for questioning, was arrested later that evening after a detailed interrogation session. 

Until now, the CPI(M) had stayed out of controversy, repeatedly asserting that neither the party nor the state government had any role in the Sabarimala gold theft. However, with the arrest of Padmakumar, a member of the Pathanamthitta district committee, the party's long-held stance of denial faces fresh scrutiny.

According to SIT findings, Padmakumar is suspected to have played the central role in orchestrating the theft, including directing that the stolen Sabarimala gold be handed over to the first accused, Unnikrishnan Potti, with whom he also shared other non-temple financial and land dealings. 

He allegedly used temple officials for covert instructions, made unauthorised changes in Devaswom Board minutes without their knowledge, and attempted to influence decisions through private agents. 

Investigators suspect that the conspiracy behind the gold heist may have been hatched at his residence.

Padmakumar served as the TDB president in 2019 when the board considered a proposal that involved handing over the gold-clad copper plates of the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and the Sreekovil door frames to Unnikrishnan Potti for electroplating.

The Sabarimala gold controversy involves alleged irregularities concerning the gold plating work at the temple. This situation arose from a donation of 30.3 kilograms of gold and 1,900 kilograms of copper by industrialist Vijay Mallya in 1998, intended for cladding the sanctum sanctorum and wooden carvings of the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in Kerala

SIT is likely to seek custody of Padmakumar again on Monday to question him further, based on the evidence collected during the raid. 

With the latest arrest, the SIT has now taken into custody five persons, including prime accused Potty and Vasu, in the two cases related to gold missing from the Dwarapalaka idols and the Sreekovil door frames.