Kochi, Nov 6 : The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Sabarimala gold plating theft case on Thursday night recorded the arrest of K.S. Byju, a former employee of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), marking the fourth arrest in the case.

The move adds a crucial link to the ongoing probe into the disappearance of gold used in plating parts of the Sabarimala temple in 2019.

Byju, who is the seventh accused in the case, was the responsible official then and had served as the custodian of the gold plates sent for re-plating work to the private firm Smart Creations in Chennai.

It has now been found that he was on leave on the day the gold plates were taken from the temple to Chennai, a development that has raised questions about procedural safeguards and oversight at that stage.

His arrest comes a day after the Kerala High Court directed further investigation in the case after examining the SIT's second-stage report.

The court had stressed that the probe must establish clear accountability and identify any official negligence in the handling of temple gold.

According to sources, the SIT will move the Ranni Magistrate Court on Friday seeking the custody of two accused currently in judicial remand, to facilitate a joint interrogation with Byju.

Among those already arrested are the prime accused 'sponsor' Unnikrishnan Potti, serving TDB employee Murari Babu, and former TDB employee Sudheesh Kumar.

Investigators believe that questioning Byju in the presence of Babu and Kumar could help establish the sequence of events leading to the disappearance of the gold during the re-plating process.

The SIT suspects that genuine gold sheets used to cover parts of the sanctum were replaced with portions of the original gold allegedly siphoned off during transit or re-plating.

Byju's custodial role of the temple's assets and his absence on the day of the transfer of the gold plates are now key areas of scrutiny.

The SIT is examining whether his actions amounted to willful negligence or complicity in the alleged theft.

The case has generated widespread public concern, prompting judicial monitoring, even as the Congress and the BJP have been demanding a probe by a central agency.

/IANS