Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 29 : N. Vijayakumar, a former Travancore Devaswom Board member and a senior CPI(M) activist and former top office-bearer of the party-backed state organisation of government employees, was taken into custody in the Sabarimala gold theft case after detailed questioning at the Crime Branch office, here on Monday.

Vijayakumar was a member of the Devaswom Board when it was headed by former president A. Padmakumar. His arrest has marked a significant turn in the investigation into the Sabarimala gold theft case, with the probe now clearly expanding to examine the collective functioning of the Board during the period in question.

He appeared before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) earlier in the day, citing what he described as unbearable pressure, while maintaining that he was innocent and had committed no wrongdoing.

Investigators, however, claim to have gathered evidence suggesting that Vijayakumar was aware of the gold plates being handed over to Unnikrishnan Potti, one of the prime accused in the case.

Vijayakumar had earlier withdrawn his anticipatory bail plea, a move that followed strong observations by the Kerala High Court on the course of the investigation. The court had underlined that all members of the Devaswom Board bore equal responsibility in the alleged misappropriation of temple assets.

The High Court had also sharply criticised the SIT for a â??serious lapseâ?? in not extending the probe to former Board members K.P. Shankardas and Vijayakumar, even after the arrest of Padmakumar. Following the courtâ??s censure and the growing likelihood of arrest, both Shankardas and Vijayakumar had approached the Kollam Vigilance Court seeking anticipatory bail.

Padmakumar, in his statements to investigators, has consistently stressed the principle of collective responsibility, maintaining that decisions related to Sabarimala were not taken unilaterally but in consultation with the Board and its administrative committee. He has also reportedly told investigators that several decisions were taken in line with government directives.

The SITâ??s arrest of Vijayakumar is now being viewed as lending weight to Padmakumarâ??s claim that responsibility for the alleged lapses was shared by the entire Board.

Although the SIT had earlier issued a notice to Vijayakumar, he failed to appear for questioning. He was later taken into custody directly, after which his arrest was formally recorded. His counsel said that since Vijayakumar is innocent and wants to prove it, he decided to present himself before the SIT on Monday.

Meanwhile, the case has taken an added dimension with a non-resident businessman telling investigators that a transaction involving Sabarimala temple artefacts allegedly took place between accused Unnikrishnan Potti and D. Mani. The businessman has expressed suspicion that the artefacts may have been smuggled abroad.

He told the SIT that he was initially approached for the deal in Thiruvananthapuram but declined to participate, following which the transaction was allegedly diverted to others.

The SIT is now preparing to question D. Mani as part of efforts to establish the trail of the missing artefacts, including five-metal idols allegedly taken out of Sabarimala.

Investigators said the coming days would be crucial in determining the full extent of the alleged conspiracy and fixing accountability at the institutional level. With Vijayakumarâ??s arrest, the total number of arrests in the case has risen to 10, with more expected in the coming days.

/IANS