Kerala Gold Loss: SIT Custody for Key Accused B Murari Babu

A Kerala court on Tuesday granted custody of B Murari Babu, an accused in the Sabarimala gold loss case, to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for four days. The court decision followed the SIT's plea seeking custody of Babu, a former Devaswom administrative officer, who is implicated in gold-related theft.

Babu is the second accused in the case concerning the loss of gold from the 'Dwarapalaka' idols and stands as the sixth accused in the alleged gold loss from the temple's sanctum sanctorum door frame. The probe has intensified under the SIT, which is also managing the case against the primary accused, Bengaluru-based businessman Unnikrishnan Potty, whose custody ends on October 30.

The investigation led the SIT to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for evidence collection, returning to Kerala on October 26. Last week, the team searched the jewellery shop owned by Govardhan, linked to the gold-plating work funded by Potty, as well as Potty's Bengaluru residence and the Smart Creation office in Chennai, seizing substantial amounts of gold during these operations.