The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] has served a show-cause notice on the former Travancore Devaswom Board president and party district committee member A. Padmakumar, seeking an explanation on his alleged role in the Sabarimala gold theft case.
The notice, delivered via registered post, comes after allegations that Mr. Padmakumar’s actions brought disrepute to the party. The move comes a week after Mr. Padmakumar secured bail, signalling the party’s intent to reassert control over the narrative.
CPI(M) sources say the decision was taken following the party State leadership’s directives, without prior discussion at the district secretariat or committee level. Insiders suggest it is the first step towards removing him from the district committee.
The notice also asks Mr. Padmakumar to clarify his response to media reports linking him to the case. While no photos or evidence have surfaced directly connecting him to the main accused Unnikrishnan Potti, images of former Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran alongside Mr. Potti had surfaced in the media. A raid at the residence of Mr. Padmakumar had also yielded no proof 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 aims at preventing him from accessing committee decisions and updates. There is also a growing concern within the party that his presence at committee meetings could provoke internal dissent and provide political ammunition to rivals.
Mr. Padmakumar, who has been arraigned 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 March 4, 2026.
Published – March 12, 2026 08:12 pm IST
