Kochi: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested suspended Sabarimala Administrative Officer Murari Babu in connection with the gold robbery from Sabarimala temple in Kerala today.
He was detained from his house in Perunna in Changanasserry in Kottayam last night.
Murari, who is the second accused in the robbery case, is the first official to be arrested in the case.
Murari was the official who first illegally tampered with the temple records to state that the gold articles in the sanctum of the hill shrine were not gold coated and that they were copper.
Murari had said that it was on the basis of the temple priest he had made the statement.
It was Murari who initiated the crime of tampering with the temple records, helping smuggling of the article outside the temple premises.
There are three FIRs filed in the case as per the direction of Kerala High Court Devaswom bench which had constituted the SIT after getting reports of gold robbery.
The SIT had arrested one Unnikrishnan Potti who conspired in the robbery.
SIT arrests Murari Babu
