Former Sabarimala administrative officer sent to SIT custody in temple gold theft case

Pathanamthitta (Kerala), Nov 7 (PTI) A court here on Friday sent the former administrative officer of the Sabarimala temple to the custody of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the theft of gold from the hill shrine, officials said.

The Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Ranni granted the custody of former administrative officer B Murari Babu to SIT till Monday in connection with a case related to the theft of gold from the door frames of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) of the temple, sources said.

The court had earlier granted SIT custody of former executive officer Sudheesh Kumar till November 12 in the case.

Meanwhile, the SIT produced arrested former Thiruvabharanam (sacred ornament) commissioner K S Baiju before the court, which remanded him to judicial custody.

Officials said the SIT would soon file an application seeking Baiju’s custody for further interrogation.

So far, the SIT has arrested four persons in the case — sponsor Unnikrishnan Potty, Babu, Kumar, and Baiju.

Acting on the direction of the Kerala High Court, the SIT has registered two cases related to the theft of gold from the gold-plated plates of the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and the door frames of the Sreekovil. PTI TBA TBA ROH