Ex-TDB official Murari Babu, accused in Sabarimala gold loss case, dies at 54

Former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) administrative officer Murari Babu, an accused in the cases related to the alleged loss of gold from the Sabarimala temple, died at a private hospital in Kochi, family sources said on Saturday.

He was 54 and had been undergoing treatment for cancer for the past three months. He died at Amrita Hospital on Friday night, the sources said.

Murari Babu was arrested last year in connection with cases involving the alleged loss of gold from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idol plates and the doorframes of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) at the hill shrine during his tenure as a TDB official.

On 23 January, the Kollam Vigilance Court granted him statutory bail in both cases after 90 days had elapsed since his arrest and the Special Investigation Team (SIT) failed to file chargesheets.

Babu was the second accused in the case relating to the alleged gold loss from the Dwarapalaka idol plates and the sixth accused in the case concerning the alleged loss from the Sreekovil doorframes.

He was arrested in October last year on allegations that he had forwarded to the Travancore Devaswom Board a proposal by the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potty, to electroplate the Dwarapalaka idols and the Sreekovil doorframes.

Investigators had booked him on charges of conspiracy in connection with the alleged gold loss.

At the time of his arrest, Babu was serving as deputy Devaswom commissioner in Haripad. He was subsequently suspended after the allegations surfaced.

A former police constable, Babu joined Kerala Police in 1994 and underwent training in Kannur before leaving the force and joining the Travancore Devaswom Board in 1997.

He began his career with the board as a clerk at the Ettumanoor temple and later held several positions within the organisation. Babu also served as special officer for temple festivals at the Vaikom, Ettumanoor and Thirunakkara temples, TDB sources said.

With PTI inputs