Arrest of former TDB president Padmakumar raises new questions

The Sabarimala gold theft scandal has taken a dramatic new turn with the arrest of former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president A. Padmakumar, raising questions about the full scope of the conspiracy within the temple administration and how far the case might reach into the upper echelons of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)].

New information has emerged indicating that the initial application regarding the gold, submitted by Unnikrishnan Potti, the first accused in the case, was received not by the TDB but by the Devaswom department, then under CPI(M) Minister Kadakampally Surendran. This revelation, coming on the heels of the arrest of Mr. Padmakumar, a Pathanamthitta district committee member of the CPI(M) and a former legislator from Pathanamthitta, has further heightened political interest in the case.

Mr. Padmakumar’s arrest is the second high-profile one in the case, the other being that of N. Vasu, also a former TDB president, on November 11. SIT sources confirm that evidence against Mr. Padmakumar solidified after investigators allegedly traced financial transactions between him and Mr. Potti, establishing a direct link to the alleged conspiracy.

With the ongoing election season in mind, the CPI(M) has moved swiftly to frame the arrests as part of a probe conducted under its government. Raju Abraham, CPI(M) Pathanamthitta district secretary, said the party welcomed any investigation into the Sabarimala gold theft case and emphasised that the SIT should continue probing Mr. Padmakumar’s alleged involvement. He reiterated that the party’s stance remained consistent with that of the State secretary—no one implicated in the case will be protected.

He also added that the district committee would decide on removing Mr. Padmakumar from the party panel once the SIT releases full details of the investigation. “The SIT is taking strong action. Anyone still left out should also be brought under the ambit of the case,” he said.

Security tightened

Meanwhile, security has been tightened at Mr. Padmakumar’s residence in Aranmula, with roads barricaded as a precaution against potential protests against him.

The first arrest in the case, of Mr. Potti, was made on October 17. This was followed by the arrest of several senior TDB officials, including Murari Babu, about 10 days later. Investigators have also revealed that, six years after the reported loss of gold sheets, TDB officials overlooked the discrepancy and once again despatched the panels for re-plating in Chennai, raising questions about administrative negligence or complicity.

The scandal spans over six years, from June 16, 2019, to September 27, 2025, and involves a meticulously orchestrated network of senior TDB officials and former presidents. The accused allegedly siphoned off gold from the sanctum sanctorum of the Sabarimala temple, including door frames and the Dwarapalaka statues, under the guise of routine gold-plating work. To cover their tracks, the gold panels were falsely documented as gold-plated copper in official records