Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 7 (NationPress) In a significant development within the Sabarimala temple gold plating controversy, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has suspended its official B. Murari Babu on Tuesday. He had claimed in 2019 that the gold sheets provided by business magnate Vijay Mallya were, in fact, copper.

At that time, Murari Babu was serving as the Administrative Officer at Sabarimala and is currently positioned as the Deputy Commissioner of the TDB in Haripad.

He was responsible for delivering the gold sheets to Unnikrishnan Potti, a controversial figure in this affair, and has since appeared before TDB Vigilance officials following the surfacing of this current issue.

His 2019 report, which classified the gold as copper in the 'Mahasar' (temple treasury records), initiated a formal inquiry by TDB Vigilance.

The TDB Vigilance findings indicated shortcomings by several officials, with Murari Babu being the only one still in service.

In response to this report, the TDB held a board meeting and voted to suspend Murari Babu on Tuesday.

However, he has insisted that he played no personal role in any discrepancies.

Murari Babu asserts that the classification of gold as copper was based on correspondence from the Tantri (chief priest), and emphasizes that his report was merely preliminary.

Ultimate approval for the use of gold rested with senior authorities.

He argued that only a small amount of gold was applied to the 'Dwarapalakas' (door guardians) and battlements, creating the impression of copper.

In 2019, copper was indeed visible on the sculptures of the door guardians, he reiterated, asserting that he bears no responsibility for any lapses.

Murari Babu also clarified that he was not present during the physical handover of the gold sheets, having vacated his position just three days prior on July 16, 2019, and did not sign the Mahasar.

He noted that only a minor quantity of gold was used on the sculptures, and that the records accurately reflected copper sheets.

He highlighted that the gold plating company had received approval from the High Court and provided a 40-year warranty, indicating that actual gold application could only commence after sponsorship approval.

The suspension of Murari Babu is perceived as part of the TDB’s initiative to ensure accountability, although he continues to contend that he was not personally liable for any lapses in the gold sheet matter.

Both the Vijayan government and the TDB are currently under scrutiny, facing backlash from both the Congress-led UDF and the BJP. On Monday, the Kerala High Court took decisive action by establishing a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the ongoing controversy and present a report within a month.