Sabarimala Gold Theft Case: Former Devaswom Board President A Padmakumar Arrested

The Kerala High Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the misappropriation of gold-plated copper casings covering the sculptures and stone carvings at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple arrested former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president and Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] leader A. Padmakumar on Thursday.

The arrest came after hours of questioning at the State Police Crime Branch Headquarters here. The SIT has named Mr. Padmakumar as the eighth accused in the case. The SIT subjected Mr. Padmakumar to a medical examination at General Hospital here and later produced him before a magistrate in Kollam.

The SIT had earlier arrested former TDB commissioner and later TDB president N. Vasu, former administrative officer Murari Babu, former executive officer D. Sudheesh Kumar, and ex-Thiruvabharanam Commissioner K.S. Baiju in the case.