KOCHI: Tiruvitamcoor Devaswom Board Assistant Engineer Sunil Kumar has been suspended on October 14. The action has been in the wake of the Devaswom Vigilance report. Case has been charged against ten persons including Unnikrishnan Potti, the first accused. Sunilkumar was one among them. When the gold was taken out from the Dwarapalaka statues, in 2019, Sunil was present there.
According to the reports, Sunil Kumar was very much aware that the shrine was covered by gold layers. Similar action was taken about Muraribabu, a senior official with the Tiruvitamcoor Devaswom Board. It is in connection with the 2019 gold plating controversy at Sabarimala.
The suspension is for allegedly making the wrong report that gold covered sculptures were copper sheets. He had reported that the gold donated by UB Group chairman Vijaya Mallya was copper. It is alleged that Muraribabu gave gold layers to Unnikrishnan Potti.
The investigation team carried out thorough examination in the Devaswom Head Quarters on October 14.
Tiruvitamcoor Devaswom Board meeting was held on October 14. The meeting decided to seek explanation from the employees of those days. Seven of them are retired. All of them are required to give explanation in ten days.
