Sabarimala gold scam: Murari Babu sent to SIT custody till Nov 10

Pathanamthitta: The Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Ranni on Friday sent Murari Babu, the former administrative officer of the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, to the custody of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged gold theft at the hill shrine. He will remain in SIT custody till November 10, officials said.

Murari Babu is booked in the case related to the theft of gold from the door frames of the temple’s sanctum sanctorum. It was on October 23, the probe team recorded his arrest.

SIT has so far taken four people into custody in the case.

Apart from Babu, two former temple officials — Sudheesh Kumar and K.S. Baiju — have been arrested. The prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potty, is currently in judicial custody.

Earlier, the Ranni court had granted SIT custody of former executive officer Sudheesh Kumar till November 12, according to PTI.

Meanwhile, the SIT produced former Thiruvabharanam (sacred ornaments) commissioner KS Baiju before the court, which remanded him to judicial custody. Officials said the SIT will soon move an application seeking Baiju’s custody for further interrogation.

Following a directive from the Kerala High Court, the SIT registered two cases related to the theft of gold from the gold-plated panels of the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and the door frames of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum).