THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A. Padmakumar, former president of the Travancore Devaswom Board and CPM Pathanamthitta district committee member, has given a crucial statement after his arrest in the Sabarimala gold-plating scam. He told investigators that the gold-plating work assigned to Unnikrishnan Potty was done with the knowledge of the then Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran.

Padmakumar’s arrest is linked to the 2019 gold theft case. An application that Potty had submitted to the minister for gold-plating work had reached the Devaswom Board. Padmakumar informed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that the government had approved handing over the temple door frames. He had earlier said that people considered “god-like” by devotees were involved in the theft.

He is the sixth person to b

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