Sabarimala gold row: Padmakumar named accused in Dwarapalaka panel smuggling too; arrest recorded

Kollam, Kerala: The noose tightens around former Travancore Devaswom Board president A. Padmakumar as he has been named an accused in the case involving the smuggling of gold panels of Dwarapalaka idols in the Sabarimala temple.

The SIT submitted its report before the Kollam Vigilance Court. Padmakumar was produced in jail, where the SIT officially recorded his arrest in this case. He had initially been arraigned in the case concerning the smuggling of the door panel.

The SIT has now arraigned him in the 2019 case, which alleges that gold was siphoned off after transporting the Dwarapalaka idol panels. According to the SIT, Padmakumar is involved in both cases.

Padmakumar had earlier been listed as an accused for allegedly helping Unnikrishnan Potti and his team by rewriting records to falsely classify gold-plated panels as copper sheets and producing forged documents. Following this, he has now also been arraigned as an accused in the Dwarapalaka idol gold panel smuggling case.

As his current remand period was due to end on Thursday, the new case was added just in time. The Kollam Vigilance Court has extended Padmakumar’s remand for another 14 days. His bail plea, considered the other day, has been postponed to December 8.