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CPI(M) leader arrested in Sabarimala gold theft
SIT arrested former TDB president A Padmakumar over Sabarimala temple gold theft, as investigations reveal missing gold during his tenure.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the case of misappropriation of gold assets from the Sabarimala temple arrested former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader A Padmakumar on Thursday.
Padmakumar, also a former MLA from Konni in Pathanamthitta district, was arraigned by the SIT as the eighth accused in the case.
He was serving as the president of the TDB in 2019 when the administrative body first permitted the first accused and businessman Unnikrishnan Potty to take the gold-clad sheets covering the Dwarapalaka idols for replating in Chennai.
The HC recently found that when the sheets, already plated with gold in 1998, were returned to the shrine that year, at least four kilograms of gold were missing, leading to allegations of theft.
Padmakumar, hours before his formal arrest on Thursday, was questioned by the SIT at an undisclosed location in Thiruvananthapuram, said SIT officers in the know.
Before his arrest, Padmakumar had reportedly pleaded innocence and stated that he did not know of any pilferation of gold from the assets in Sabarimala, they added.
The arrest of Padmakumar comes days after the SIT conducted scientific examination of the gold-clad panels and sheets at the Sabarimala temple on the directions of the Kerala high court in the middle of the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku festival.
Padmakumar’s arrest follows the arrests of N Vasu, another former TDB president and CPI (M) leader, D Murari Babu, suspended Devaswom officer, and Potty, the key accused in the case. The SIT may question Padmakumar and Vasu together to retrieve more details key to the theft of assets.
Leader of the opposition VD Satheesan lashed out at the LDF government over the arrest of the CPI (M) leader.
“There is now a procession of those who looted the Sabarimala temple into jail. N Vasu, who was a close confidante of the chief minister, has been arrested, followed by CPM leader Padmakumar. The SIT should now question former Devaswom minister Kadakampally Surendran. The opposition believes strongly that he has involvement in the gold theft,” said Satheesan.
BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar pointed to the involvement of the ‘political leadership’ of the CPI(M) in the Sabarimala loot.
“A leaf doesn’t turn without the knowledge of the State government. There is 100% involvement of the CPI (M) leadership in the gold heist,” he said.
However, CPI (M) state secretary MV Govindan denied the involvement of the party.
“From the outset, I have said that a gram of gold cannot be stolen from Sabarimala. The SIT can conduct its investigation and arrest anyone who is involved. The party will not protect anyone. The party has no link to the gold heist,” he said.
