THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has issued an order modifying the transfers of 25 assistant devaswom commissioner cadre officers following a major controversy.
All 25 officers have been reassigned to different postings and locations. Notably, Syam Prakash, the administrative officer of Valliyamkavu Devaswom, has been transferred to Kottarakkara as an assistant audit officer. The TDB’s turnaround came after an initial order involving 75 transfers sparked intense backlash.
Critics questioned the appointment of certain officers to significant posts despite them being interrogated by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in connection with the high-profile Sabarimala gold theft case.
Expressing strong displeasure over the initial appointments, Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan had formally written to the TDB demanding the immediate withdrawal of the transfer circular.
“The Board enjoys autonomous powers, and the government cannot directly interfere in its decisions,” the minister had stated in the letter.
“Even so, the letter explicitly demands that those facing investigation or under a cloud of suspicion in the Sabarimala gold theft case must not be appointed to key posts.”
He went a step further, warning that if the government’s demand was ignored, the state would presume that the current Board is complicit in the gold theft incident.