Former TDB Chief N Vasu Arrested in Sabarimala Gold Theft Case
SIT arrests ex-Travancore Devaswom Board president over missing gold from Sabarimala temple sanctum
Thiruvananthapuram: In a major development in the Sabarimala gold theft case, former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president and Devaswom Commissioner N Vasu was arrested on Tuesday by the Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Vasu, the third accused in the case, was taken into custody after detailed questioning by the SIT over the disappearance of gold used for plating the sanctum sanctorum of the hill shrine.
According to the probe team, during his tenure as Commissioner in 2019, Vasu allegedly failed to act when the gold handed over to contractor Unnikrishnan Potty — the first accused — went missing. Investigators also found that Vasu, on March 19, 2019, had instructed officials to record the gold plates as copper. He stepped down from the post on March 31, 2019, and later became TDB president.
The arrest follows statements given by other accused — former TDB administrative officer Murari Babu (arrested on October 23), executive officer Sudheesh (arrested on November 1), and former Thiruvananthapuram Commissioner Baiju — who reportedly pointed to Vasu’s involvement.
During questioning, Vasu allegedly avoided key questions about document tampering, citing poor health and memory issues.
The SIT found that on February 26, 2019, the TDB, acting on Vasu’s letter, approved the handover of the gold plates to Potty. Investigators allege that the plates were later smuggled with the connivance of senior Devaswom officials. The probe report cited “serious lapses” by top officials, including Vasu, and concluded that negligence and manipulation led to the loss of temple gold.
Political reactions followed swiftly. Congress leader and AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal claimed the arrest exposed the CPM’s links to the case, noting that Vasu had earlier served as additional private secretary to former Excise Minister and senior CPM leader P K Gurudasan during the 2006–11 LDF tenure.
He alleged that Vasu had been protected due to his political proximity to the ruling party. The CPM dismissed the charge, saying the arrests reflected the LDF government’s commitment to an impartial investigation. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reiterated that “whoever is guilty will face the law,” while the Kerala High Court continues to monitor the SIT probe.