Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], January 15 (ANI): KP Shankaradas, a former member of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), who was arrested in connection with the Sabarimala gold theft case, was remanded by a Kollam Vigilance Court judge on Thursday.

The remand order was issued after the judge visited a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram, where Shankaradas is currently undergoing treatment. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) will shift him from the private hospital to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital for further medical care and custody.

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The SIT probing the Sabarimala gold theft case arrested KP Shankaradas, a former member of the Travancore Devaswom Board, Kerala Police said on Wednesday. The arrest was formally recorded at the private hospital where he has been undergoing treatment for the past few days. The Kollam Vigilance Court was informed of the arrest, police sources confirmed.

Shankaradas had served on the administrative committee of the Travancore Devaswom Board during the tenure of former TDB president A Padmakumar, who was earlier arrested in the case. Investigators believe decisions taken during this period are central to the alleged irregularities linked to the disappearance of gold meant for the Sabarimala temple.

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The Sabarimala gold theft case concerns allegations of misappropriation of approximately 4.54 kilograms of gold from sacred temple artefacts, including the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) door frames and Dwarapalaka idols. The alleged theft took place in 2019 under the pretext of refinishing and re-gold-plating temple structures.

The controversy traces its origins to a 1998 donation by industrialist Vijay Mallya, who donated 30.3 kilograms of gold and 1,900 kilograms of copper for gold plating and cladding at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple. Subsequent inspections and court-monitored inquiries revealed discrepancies between the donated gold and the quantity allegedly used.

Unnikrishnan Potti, named as the prime accused in the case, was taken into custody by the SIT in October last year. The investigation gained momentum after the SIT submitted its second report to the Kerala High Court, highlighting serious irregularities in the minutes and decisions of the Travancore Devaswom Board.

In recent weeks, the SIT has arrested several key figures, including former TDB member Vijayakumar and the temple's senior Tantri, Kandararu Rajeevaru, who was taken into custody on January 9 on charges of criminal conspiracy and allegedly granting "silent permission" for removing gold-plated artefacts in violation of ritual norms.

The case has also triggered political controversy, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding that the probe be handed over to a neutral agency, alleging the involvement of senior Kerala ministers and questioning the state government's handling of the investigation. (ANI)

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