Sabarimala Gold Theft Case Accused Murari Babu Passes Away
Kochi: Murari Babu (54), former Administrative Officer at Sabarimala and an accused in the high-profile Sabarimala gold theft case, passed away early Saturday while undergoing treatment for cancer at a private hospital in Kochi. He had been receiving medical treatment for the past three months.
Murari Babu had secured bail in the case several months ago. He was named as an accused in both the Dwarapalaka sculpture plating case and the Kattilappali gold plating case linked to the alleged theft of gold from the Sabarimala temple. He was the first accused in the case to be released on bail after the Kollam Vigilance Court granted him statutory bail, as the investigation team failed to file the charge sheet within 90 days of his arrest.
Born into an ordinary family, Murari Babu was a member of the Travancore Devaswom Employees Confederation affiliated with the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU). His father ran a small shop in Perunna, Changanassery. According to findings of the Special Investigation Team, Murari Babu amassed significant wealth after joining the Travancore Devaswom Board.
Before entering Devaswom service, Murari Babu had briefly joined the police force. He was recruited into the police department in 1994 and underwent initial training as a constable in Kannur. However, he did not complete the training and later joined the Travancore Devaswom Board as an employee in 1997. He initially worked as an assistant to a senior official within the Board before receiving a permanent appointment as a clerk at the Ettumanoor temple.
During his career with the Devaswom Board, he served as a Special Officer for temple festivals in Vaikom, Ettumanoor and Thirunakkara.
Murari Babu was arrested in connection with the alleged theft of gold-plated sheets from the Kattilappali structure and the Dwarapalaka sculptures at the Sabarimala temple in 2019. He was listed as the second accused in the case. Investigators alleged that he was the first to prepare records describing the gold-plated sheets as being made of copper.
In his statement to investigators, Murari Babu reportedly maintained that decisions could not be made solely based on his written recommendations and that no such actions would have taken place without the approval of the Devaswom Board President and the Devaswom Commissioner.
The Sabarimala gold theft case remains one of the most closely watched investigations involving the Travancore Devaswom Board.