‘Cash and gold hidden in mouth’: 2 Sabarimala temple staff caught stealing from hundi

Sabarimala: Two Devaswom employees were arrested for smuggling foreign currency and gold from the hundi at the Sabarimala temple by concealing the items in their mouth.

The accused, M.G. Gopakumar (51) and Sunil G. Nair (51) from Alappuzha, were taken into custody by the Devaswom Vigilance. They are temporary staff at the temple.

The arrest came amid the Devaswom board facing criticism over the controversy surrounding the gold smuggling row at Sabarimala temple.

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The theft came to light during a routine check when officials noticed that both individuals had unusually full mouths while leaving work. Foreign currency notes are generally waterproof, and the accused exploited this. The authorities recovered Malaysian currency from Gopakumar and Euro, Canadian, and UAE currencies from Sunil.

A search of their rooms revealed additional cash and valuables. From Gopakumar’s bag, officials seized ₹13,820 in Indian currency, including 27 notes of ₹500, 2 notes of ₹100, 4 notes of ₹20, and 4 notes of ₹10, and a 2-gram gold locket. Sunil’s bag contained ₹25,000, including 50 notes of ₹500 and 17 foreign currency notes, according to Vigilance SP V. Sunilkumar. The accused have been handed over to the Sannidhanam police.

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Meanwhile, Vigilance officials have requested records from post offices and banks to trace the transactions of Devaswom staff sending money from Sannidanam.

Officials are also investigating how such large amounts of cash were available to the employees in the first place. The postal department and banks have agreed to provide the necessary transaction details. The authorities will further examine whether the employees were involved in regular bribery, theft, or other illicit dealings.