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Kerala Appoints K. Jayakumar to Lead Devaswom Board After Sabarimala Gold-Theft Revelations

The appointment is framed as a credibility reset following a court-ordered probe that led to arrests over missing temple gold.

Overview

  • A gazette notification names retired IAS officer K. Jayakumar as Travancore Devaswom Board president from November 14 for a two-year term, succeeding P. S. Prasanth.
  • Jayakumar said his immediate focus is the smooth conduct of the Mandala-Makaravilakku season, which begins on November 17 at Sabarimala.
  • A Kerala High Court-mandated Special Investigation Team reported about 4.5 kg of gold missing from a 30.3 kg donation made by Vijay Mallya in 1998.
  • The SIT has arrested former junior priest Unnikrishnan Potti, ex-TDB officers B. Murari Babu and D. Sudheesh Kumar, and former Thiruvabharanam commissioner K. S. Byju.
  • Investigators allege a 2019 transfer of gold plates to Chennai under a renovation pretext and claim records were doctored on directions attributed to ex-commissioner N. Vasu, who has been questioned and summoned.