Kerala former minister likely to come under Sabarimala gold heist probe

Thiruvananthapuram: Kadakampally Surendran was the devaswom minister while the gold heist took place in 2019 and he was also suspected to be involved in giving nod for Bengaluru-based Malayali Unnikrishnan Potti to take the coverings of the 'Dwarapalaka idols' and door frames for gold plating flouting norms. 

Even as Surendran was maintaining that he had no involvement in it, the then president of Travancore Devaswom Board A Padmakumar, who was held on Thursday, was learnt to have admitted that Potti's request reached the board through the state government only. Pictures of Potti involved in a conversation with Surendran are also doing the rounds in social media.

Meanwhile, the ruling CPM seems to be in a dilemma on the action to be taken against Padmakumar, who is a district committee member of the party in Pathanamthitta. 

CPM state secretary M V Govindan told reporters after the party state leadership meeting on Friday that the party would examine the reasons for Padmakumar's arrest and take any actions if required .

The party was learnt to be of the view that any hasty action against Padmakumar by the party could lead to interpretation that the party admits the CPM leader's involvement in the gold heist and it could even hit the party in the ongoing local body election campaign.