Thiruvananthapuram: N Vijayakumar has stood by his statement given against former Travancore Devaswom Board president A Padmakumar in the Sabarimala gold theft case. Vijayakumar repeatedly stated that Padmakumar was the one who decided board’s major matters, and that it was Padmakumar who informed the board about taking the gold plates away.

N Vijayakumar (Adv Paravila Vijayakumar), a former member of the board’s governing committee, was arrested by the SIT the other day in connection with the case in which Sabarimala’s gold plates were handed over to Unnikrishnan Potti after recording them as copper. Vijayakumar, a CPM leader, was part of the 2019 governing committee chaired by Padmakumar, who has also been arrested in the case and is a former Devaswom Board president and former Konni MLA. Earlier, the SIT had questioned Vijayakumar and former Devaswom Board member KP Shankardas. Padmakumar was arrested following this questioning, and Vijayakumar was arrested thereafter.

According to Vijayakumar’s statement, the board members had no role in the gold theft. All decisions were taken by Padmakumar. In 2019, during the governing committee headed by Padmakumar, he wielded unquestioned authority. It was Padmakumar who presented matters before the board and took decisions. He was also the one who stated that the gold plates were being taken away for repairs. “Comrade Padmakumar said everything. I merely signed the minutes without even reading. I did not realise this would become an issue. I have no involvement in the gold theft,” Vijayakumar stated.