The Ranni court remanded Sabarimala gold theft case accused B. Murari Babu to four days of SIT custody for interrogation.
Babu is accused of misreporting gold as copper during temple renovation, aiding the alleged diversion of valuables.
The SIT is widening its investigation to include senior officials and contractors linked to the 2019 refurbishment project.
Sabarimala Gold Case: Murari Babu Remanded To SIT Custody For Four Days
The Kerala High Court has directed the SIT to expedite its investigation and submit a detailed report, with senior officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board likely to come under scrutiny next.
Summary
A local court in Ranni on Tuesday granted the Special Investigation Team (SIT) four days’ custody of B. Murari Babu, a key accused in the Sabarimala gold theft case, for detailed questioning.
Babu, a former administrative officer of the Travancore Devaswom Board, was arrested last week in connection with the disappearance of gold-plated sheets from the temple’s dwarapalaka idols and the sanctum’s door frame. He has been named as the second accused in one case and the sixth in another related file.
Investigators allege that Babu deliberately recorded gold-plated components as “copper sheets” in official documents, facilitating the misappropriation of the temple’s valuables. The probe has widened to include contractors and officials involved in the 2019 renovation work, during which the alleged irregularities took place.
The Kerala High Court has directed the SIT to expedite its investigation and submit a detailed report, with senior officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board likely to come under scrutiny next.
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