The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Sabarimala gold theft case on Saturday recorded the statement of former Devaswom Minister and current MLA Kadakampally Surendran. He was in charge of the Devaswom department in 2019, when the alleged irregularities are said to have occurred.
According to sources, investigators questioned Kadakampally about the Travancore Devaswom Board’s (TDB) decision to remove gold-plated sheets from certain Sabarimala temple artefacts and transport them to a private firm, Smart Creations in Chennai, for electroplating. The SIT sought clarity on whether the move had received ministerial or departmental approval.
Kadakampally reportedly maintained that the Devaswom department dealt only with policy-level issues related to temples and that operational decisions, including the removal of gold-plated sheets, were taken independently by the Devaswom Board. He also told investigators that while he was familiar with the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potty, it was only in his capacity as a temple sponsor.
The probe has already led to the arrest of several former Devaswom Board officials, including ex-presidents N. Vasu and A. Padmakumar, as well as board member N. Vijayakumar. Their arrests have intensified political scrutiny of the case.
Opposition parties have accused the state government of mishandling Sabarimala-related affairs and alleged corruption in the management of temple assets. Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan had earlier claimed that Kadakampally was aware of those behind the gold theft.
Kadakampally has challenged these allegations in court, terming them defamatory, and has sought an apology and compensation from the Congress leader.
