TDB Suspends Officer; Sabarimala’s Gold-Plate Row
Thiruvananthapuram: The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has suspended B. Murari Babu, currently serving as Deputy Devaswom Commissioner, Haripad, pending an investigation into alleged irregularities in a report he submitted in 2019 regarding the gold-plated Dwarapalaka sculptures at the Sabarimala temple.
According to TDB officials, Babu, who was then the Sabarimala Administrative Officer, had on June 17, 2019, submitted a report to the Sabarimala Executive Officer describing the Dwarapalaka sculptures on either side of the sanctum as “copper plates.” The board, which convened a meeting on Tuesday to review the matter, termed the error “a serious lapse” on the part of the officer and decided to place him under suspension pending further inquiry.
Officer Defends His Report
Responding to the board’s decision, Mr. Babu told mediapersons that he had recorded the sculptures as copper because their base metal was copper, with gold plating applied over it.
“If I had recorded it as gold, it would imply the entire structure was made of gold, which it was not,” he explained. “The processes were followed correctly. My report was only a preliminary one, and higher officials, along with technical experts, made the final assessment. As an employee of the Devaswom Board for over 30 years, I accept the board’s decision,” he added.
Murari Babu stated that the mention of copper plating in the mahazar (official report) was based on a letter from the Tantri (chief priest). He clarified that the document he submitted was only a preliminary report. Babu also pointed out that it was the responsibility of the higher officials and the Devaswom Board to verify and review the report after he had submitted it.
The suspension comes amid ongoing scrutiny over the authenticity and handling of the gold-plated elements within the Sabarimala temple premises, an issue that has drawn significant public and administrative attention in recent months.