Sabarimala gold plate scandal: 'Relieved from duty before that'; Murari Babu denies involvement in lapse

ALAPPUZHA: Haripad Devaswom Deputy Commissioner and former Sabarimala Administrative Officer B Murari Babu has denied any involvement in the gold plating scandal at Sabarimala and stands by the report that it was a copper plating.

"I have only given a preliminary report. The approval is given by the officials above after the inspection. Vijay Mallya's gold plating is not the same everywhere. It is suspected that it is only on the roof. That is why the shine has not been lost. The Dvarapalaka sculptures and the door frame were gold-plated in a small amount. That is why the copper is visible. I wrote what I saw. I gave the report by following all the procedures. I sought the permission of the Thantri following the request of Unnikrishnan Potty. I was told that it was plated with copper. The door should not be of one colour and the door frame of another colour. That is why the layer of the door frame was also taken for gold plating. The door frame is also gold-plated on the copper layer. That is why the colour faded. The door frame was also noted as it is a copper layer. It is the Smith who should certify it."

'Relieved from duty before that'

Murari Babu said that he was not in charge when the gold plating was handed over. "I had been relieved from duty three days before that. He did not sign the Mahasar. There was an official lapse. The Dvarapalakas only contain a small percentage of gold. Only the base metal is noted down. That is why it is written as copper in the documents."