Former devaswom board president A Padma Kumar arrested in Sabarimala gold theft case

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former Travancore Devaswom Board president A Padma Kumar has been arrested in the gold theft case in Sabarimala. His arrest was registered after the SIT was convinced of his role in the gold theft. He will be produced before the Kollam Vigilance Court today itself.

Padma Kumar’s role was clarified in the remand report submitted in the court and in the statements of those arrested earlier. It was proved that it was Padma Kumar who gave complete freedom to Unnikrishnan Potty in Sabarimala. Padma Kumar is the eighth accused in the case.

A former MLA, Padma Kumar is a senior leader of the CPM. He is presently a member of the CPM Pathanamthitta district committee. The arrest of a senior leader of the party is a huge setback for the CPM in the wake of the local body elections.

Padma Kumar was questioned this morning at an undisclosed center in Thiruvananthapuram by a team led by SIT chief SP S Sasidharan. N Vasu, who was the devaswom commissioner when the gold theft took place, had already been arrested. A decision was taken to question Padma Kumar, the then board president, based on Vasu's statements.

Padma Kumar reached Thiruvananthapuram from Aranmula in the morning for interrogation. No notice was given in advance of the interrogation. The SIT had asked Padma Kumar to reach the capital city today. N Vasu is in SIT custody till 4 pm today. Reports said Vasu and Padma Kumar is likely to be questioned together.

The others arrested in the case are Unnikrishnan Potty, former administrative officer of board Murai Babu, former executive officer D Sudheesh Kumar, former Thiruvabharan commissioner K S Baiju, former devaswom commissioner and president N Vasu. So a total of six have been arrested in the case.