The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) has issued a notice to former Travancore Devaswom chairman and party district committee member A. Padmakumar seeking to explain his alleged role in the Sabarimala gold theft case.
The notice, delivered by registered post, comes after allegations that Mr. Padmakumar’s actions brought the party into disrepute. The move comes a week after Mr Padmakumar secured bail, signaling the party’s intention to regain control of the story.
CPI(M) sources say that the decision was taken on the directives of the party state leadership without prior discussion at the district secretariat or committee level. According to insiders, this is the first step towards his removal from the district committee.
The notice also asks Mr. Padmakumar to clarify his response to media reports linking him to the case. While no photographs or evidence have emerged directly linking him to the main accused Unnikrishnan Potti, pictures of former Devaswom Minister Kadakampalla Surendran alongside Mr Potti have surfaced in the media. A raid at Mr. Padmakumar’s residence also yielded no evidence linking him to the theft.
The CPI(M) district committee has already removed Mr. Padmakumar from its official WhatsApp group. Party sources say the move is aimed at preventing him from accessing committee decisions and updates. There is also growing concern within the party that his presence at committee meetings could fuel internal dissent and provide political ammunition to rivals.
Mr. Padmakumar, who was indicted as the eighth accused in the Sabarimala gold scandal, was arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on November 20 last year.
He was granted statutory bail on 4 March 2026.
Published – 12 March 2026 20:12 IST
