Sabarimala Gold Probe: Ex-TDB Administrative Officer Sreekumar Is 7th Arrest

Overview

• The court-appointed SIT arrested former Travancore Devaswom Board administrative officer S. Sreekumar on Wednesday after the High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea.
• With Sreekumar in custody, seven people have been arrested in the two connected cases involving the sanctum doorframes and the Dwarapalaka idols, including prime accused Unnikrishnan Potti and ex-TDB presidents N. Vasu and A. Padmakumar.
• The Kerala High Court has reserved orders on multiple bail applications and has asked the government to produce records proving whether the doorframes were originally gold-clad.
• The Enforcement Directorate has sought the FIR and remand reports for a money-laundering inquiry, the SIT opposed sharing them, and the Kollam Vigilance Court has posted its order for Friday.
• Prosecutors allege officials falsely recorded gold-clad items as copper to enable removal and diversion, including about 4.5 kg from the Dwarapalaka idols, a controversy rooted in a 1998 donation of 30.3 kg of gold and 1,900 kg of copper.