A Vigilance Court on Friday denied bail to former Travancore Devaswom Board president A Padmakumar in the high-profile Sabarimala gold theft case, prolonging the legal proceedings in this controversial matter that has drawn widespread attention across Kerala and the country.
Padmakumar is currently in remand in the case.
The remand report submitted by the investigation team to the court contained serious allegations against Padmakumar. The report states that it was Padmakumar who proposed handing over the gold-plated door panels and the gold armour from the Sabarimala temple’s Dwarapalaka sculptures to Unnikrishnan Potti. Devaswom officials have testified that the he had recommended taking action in Potti’s favour, and the report notes that the SIT has received testimonies corroborating this recommendation.
According to the remand report, Padmakumar initiated these attempts and the associated conspiracy from February 2019. He also presented this decision before the Board members. However, the Board members did not fully accept Padmakumar’s recommendation. Nevertheless, following Padmakumar’s suggestion, transactions were initiated under the leadership of Murari Babu to prepare the related documents. The remand report added that the documents pertaining to this matter were prepared after February 2019.

Padmakumar was also named as an accused in the case concerning the Dwarapalaka idols (door guardian sculptures) at Sabarimala. In 2019, he was charged in the case involving the theft of gold from the door guardian sculptures, having already been named as an accused in the gold-plated door panel case.