Did Padmakumar travel to England or Egypt with Potti? SIT seizes passport in Sabarimala gold theft probe

Pathanamthitta: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has seized the passport of former Devaswom Board president A Padmakumar, who was arrested in the Sabarimala gold theft case. The team is trying to determine whether Padmakumar had accompanied first accused Unnikrishnan Potti on his trips to England. The passport was seized during a raid at his residence in Aranmula. The income tax documents of Padmakumar and his wife were also confiscated. Their assets will be examined as part of the probe.

The investigation team has reportedly found that after stealing gold from the gold-plated coverings of the inner shrine door frame and dwarapalaka sculptures of the sanctum sanctorum in 2019, Unnikrishnan Potti travelled to England and Egypt. Details of foreign trips of other accused persons are being collected from their passports. The passports of those still expected to be arrested will also be scrutinised during questioning. A comprehensive inquiry into Potti’s foreign travels is progressing in parallel.

During the raid at Padmakumar’s residence, the SIT did not find any documents relating to the period following the theft of gold from the door panel and dwarapalaka statues in 2019. However, income tax return details for the financial years 2015–16 and 2016–17 for Padmakumar and his wife were recovered.