A Kollam court on Wednesday granted two-day custody of CPI(M) leader A Padmakumar, former president of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the gold theft at Sabarimala temple, amid rising political tensions in Kerala.

Padmakumar, who also served as an MLA from Konni, was produced before the Inquiry Commissioner and Special Vigilance Judge on Wednesday. He is the eighth accused in the case filed by the SIT. He had been arrested on November 20, following several hours of questioning, and was initially sent to judicial remand.

During the two-day custody, the SIT plans to question Padmakumar both individually and jointly with N Vasu, another former TDB president already arrested in connection with the case. Investigators aim to uncover potential involvement of other TDB officials and even ministers from the then cabinet in the alleged misappropriation of gold from the temple’s sanctum sanctorum and the gold-clad sheets covering the ‘Dwarapalaka’ idols.

Padmakumar faces allegations of consenting to an offer made by the first accused, Unnikrishnan Potty, to polish and renovate the gold-clad sheets covering temple sculptures in 2019, during his tenure as TDB president. He is also accused of wilfully misidentifying the gold-clad copper sheets as merely ‘copper sheets’, thereby facilitating the theft of gold from the panels.

Investigators are reportedly exploring whether the case could implicate former temple affairs minister and senior CPI(M) leader Kadakampally Surendran, as opposition parties including the Congress and BJP have alleged his involvement in the gold theft.

On Wednesday, the SIT also questioned Kandararu Mohanararu and Kandararu Rajevararu, the chief priests at Sabarimala, regarding their role in the movement of gold assets from the temple for repairs and renovations. The inquiry focused on their connections with Unnikrishnan Potty, who had served as a junior priest at Sabarimala in earlier years.

The SIT’s investigation continues to unravel the intricate network of individuals connected to the theft, with Padmakumar’s custody seen as a crucial step in determining the extent of collusion within the TDB and potential political links to the crime.