Sabarimala gold plating row: Travancore Devaswom Board suspends officer over 'false' report

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], October 7 (ANI): The Travancore Devaswom Board has suspended B. Murari Babu, Deputy Devaswom Commissioner, Haripad, in connection with an alleged false report related to the Sabarimala gold plating project.
According to the Board, the incident dates back to June 17, 2019, when Murari Babu was serving as the Administrative Officer at Sabarimala. He reportedly submitted a report to the Sabarimala Executive Officer in which the gold-plated Dwarapalaka idols located on either side of the sanctum sanctorum (Sreekovil) were incorrectly recorded as copper sheets.
The Board termed this a serious administrative lapse and has placed the officer under suspension pending a detailed inquiry.
Earlier in the day, Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly, VD Satheesan, alleged that the State government and the Devaswom Board are involved in the Sabarimala gold theft case.
Speaking with the reporters, VD Satheesan questioned why the Devaswom Board has not initiated proceedings against Unnikrishnan Potty, a former helper and the sponsor of gold-plating works at the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple.
"This is a shocking incident; the Devaswom Board knew about this in 2022 itself. But they were not ready to initiate a FIR or criminal proceedings against Unnikrishnan Potty. Why?... Why has the Devaswom Board not initiated criminal proceedings against Unnikrishnan Potty? So many officials, authorities, both in government and in the Devaswom Board, are involved in this theft," VD Satheesan said.
"We demanded the resignation of the Devaswom Board Minister and the board authorities. We will continue our strike inside and outside the assembly," he added.
VD Satheesan's statement comes after opposition created a ruckus during the Question Hour of Kerala Legislative Assembly over the Sabarimala gold plating controversy.
Opposition Leader VD Satheesan said the High Court's recent observation in the case was "shocking," noting that the court had found the Dwarapalaka idol was sold at an inflated price and that lakhs of devotees were deceived.
"The Devaswom Board has cheated lakhs of devotees. The Devaswom Minister should resign, and the Board should be dismissed. The government must announce its stand on the issue today," Satheesan demanded.
As the Speaker, AN Shamseer, moved on to the Question Hour, opposition MLAs staged a protest in front of his dais, raising banners that obstructed the Speaker's view.
Law Minister P Rajeev responded that both the Devaswom Board and the Minister had welcomed any investigation. "The opposition's drama rejecting the High Court's decision is narrow-minded," he said.
On Monday, the Kerala High Court ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged theft of gold from Sabarimala temple, while also directing that the investigation be confidential and no information be leaked.
The investigation will be led by former Superintendent of Police S Sasidharan and overseen by Crime Branch chief Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) H Venkatesh. The team will consist of three inspectors, including cyber experts. (ANI)