Ex-TDB Chief N Vasu Arrested in Sabarimala Gold Theft Case: A High-Profile Development

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Thiruvananthapuram: In a significant breakthrough in the Sabarimala gold theft case, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has arrested N Vasu, the former president of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB). Vasu, a CPI(M) leader, was produced in a magistrate's court in Pathanamthitta and is now the third accused in the chargesheet filed by the SIT. Vasu, who served as the TDB president from 2019 to 2021, was questioned several times by the SIT before his formal arrest on Tuesday. The SIT alleges that Vasu was involved in the theft of gold from the Sabarimala temple, which occurred when he was the Devaswom Commissioner in 2018. As Commissioner, Vasu oversaw the handing over of gold-clad sheets covering the 'dwarapalaka' idols to a businessman, Unnikrishnan Potty, for 'gold re-plating' in Chennai. However, when the sheets were returned to Sabarimala, they weighed four kilograms less, indicating that gold had been stolen. The SIT also accuses Vasu of misrepresenting the gold-clad plates as 'copper plates' in official documents. Furthermore, Vasu allegedly failed to act on an email from Potty, who claimed to be in possession of extra gold retrieved from the 'dwarapalaka' sheets, which he wanted to donate to a financially weak woman. The arrest of Vasu is a major development in the case and supports the Opposition's claim that top CPI(M) leaders were involved in the alleged gold theft. The Kerala High Court, which is monitoring the SIT investigation, had earlier observed that top TDB officials colluded with Potty to steal gold assets from the temple. The SIT's focus is now on A Padmakumar, a senior CPI(M) leader and former MLA, who served as TDB president before Vasu. The case highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability in the management of temple assets.