The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged misappropriation of gold at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in Kerala has arrested former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) administrative officer, B. Murari Babu. Babu was taken into custody from his residence in Changanassery late Wednesday night and was subsequently moved to the Crime Branch office in Thiruvananthapuram for questioning. The arrest was officially recorded on Thursday morning.
The case against Babu involves the disappearance of gold from the gold-plated plates of the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and the door frames of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) of the temple. He is an accused in two separate FIRs registered by the SIT. The investigation suggests a conspiracy running between 2019 and 2024, during which the practice of replacing gold plating with copper on the Dwarapalaka plates and wooden frames allegedly began. Forged records were also purportedly created under Babu's supervision.
In 2019, Unnikrishnan Potty, the prime accused in the case, proposed electroplating the Dwarapalaka idols to the TDB. Babu allegedly forwarded this proposal, stating that the gold-clad plates were made of copper. He is said to have forwarded a similar proposal from Potty again in 2025.
The TDB had earlier suspended Babu, who was serving as Deputy Devaswom Commissioner in Haripad. A preliminary inquiry by the TDB Vigilance raised suspicions about the involvement of certain board officials in the removal of gold from the Dwarapalaka idols and the door frames of the Sreekovil. The Vigilance report also highlighted serious lapses by Babu and seven other TDB officials in handing over the gold-clad plates to Potty.
The SIT is likely to file a petition in the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Pathanamthitta, seeking custody of Babu for detailed interrogation. He will be produced before the court on Thursday evening.
Murari Babu has denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that the mention of copper plating in the official report was based on a letter from the temple's chief priest. He claims he only prepared a preliminary report, while the final decision was approved by higher authorities in the TDB.
The Kerala High Court has been actively monitoring the case and has directed the SIT to widen the scope of its probe to "uncover the larger conspiracy". The court has raised suspicion that top TDB officials may have colluded to conceal the misappropriation of gold. It has also directed the SIT to seize the TDB's minutes books from 2019, which reportedly contain information about the decision to hand over the gold sheets to Unnikrishnan Potti.
The SIT has already arrested Unnikrishnan Potty, the prime accused in the case. The investigation team is also planning to take Potty to Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru to gather more evidence. Statements from former TDB presidents A Padmakumar and N Vasu, as well as other staff, are also expected to be recorded.
The Sabarimala gold theft case has triggered a political storm in Kerala. The opposition UDF and BJP have stepped up their demand for the resignation of Devaswom Minister VN Vasavan and TDB president PS Prasanth, alleging their involvement in the scam.
