Thiruvananthapuram: In a major development shaking the political and administrative circles of Kerala, A. Padmakumar, a senior leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) and former President of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), has been arrested in connection with the highly controversial Sabarimala Gold Plate Theft case.
​Padmakumar, a former MLA of Konni and a current member of the CPM’s Pathanamthitta District Committee, was taken into custody following an intensive investigation by top officials. His arrest comes after an earlier arrest made in the case (reportedly one Vasu), significantly escalating the political heat on the ruling party.
​Sources close to the ongoing investigation suggest that the probe is being expanded based on the assessment that more high-profile individuals were involved in the theft of the gold plates from the sacred Sabarimala temple.
​The focus of the inquiry has now squarely fallen on Kadakampally Surendran, who served as the Devaswom Minister during the period the alleged crime occurred. Indications suggest that Minister Surendran’s arrest could be imminent, adding to the mounting pressure on the CPM leadership.
​Padmakumar’s climb to the Devaswom Board President position was secured with the firm backing of the party. The unfolding scandal has cast a massive shadow of suspicion over the state’s high-level administration, with legal observers suggesting that several other prominent figures may soon find themselves embroiled in the case.
