Theft of gold from Sabarimala sanctum damaged temple’s reputation: Kollam Vigilance Court

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kollam Vigilance Court pointed out that the theft of gold from the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Ayyappa has damaged the reputation of the Sabarimala temple. The court made the remark while considering the bail plea of former Devaswom Board president A Padmakumar.

The court said the incident has hurt the faith of crores of Ayyappa devotees across the world. The allegations against A Padmakumar are extremely serious and shocking. The court noted that the case involves disturbing and grave accusations. Padmakumar, who was the highest-ranking official of the Devaswom Board, was responsible for protecting Lord Ayyappa’s sacred ornaments with utmost care. The stolen items were the gold ornaments of Sabarimala Ayyappa Swamy, and the situation was described as one where the protector himself committed the offence.

The court pointed out that replacing gold sheets with copper and handing over the ornaments to an outside agency for gold plating was a clear violation of the Devaswom Manual. This, the court said, prima facie shows Padmakumar’s involvement in a serious crime and conspiracy. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe is currently at a crucial stage. The court noted that Padmakumar, a former MLA and Devaswom Board president, has strong political connections and is a highly influential person. Accepting the prosecution’s argument, the court said that granting bail could allow him to misuse his political influence to destroy evidence, influence or threaten witnesses, and derail the investigation.

Considering the seriousness and nature of the offence, the court said Padmakumar’s claims of old age and illness cannot be grounds for bail. The court also noted that no medical documents have been produced so far to prove that his health condition is deteriorating.