Kerala’s Kollam Vigilance Court has rejected bail for former TDB president A Padmakumar in the high-profile Sabarimala gold theft case, keeping him in custody as the investigation into missing temple gold continues.
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KERALA: In a crucial development in the Sabarimala temple gold theft case, the Kollam Vigilance Court on Friday rejected the bail plea of former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president and ex-CPI(M) MLA, A Padmakumar. The case revolves around the mysterious loss of gold from the door frames of the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala.
According to public prosecutor Siju Rajan, the prosecution opposed Padmakumar’s bail, citing that there is sufficient evidence on record to establish his involvement in the offence. Padmakumar had applied for bail citing advanced age and health issues, but the court dismissed his plea, emphasizing the strength of the evidence against him.
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Padmakumar was named as an accused earlier this month in the theft of gold from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols at Sabarimala. The case has attracted widespread attention due to the temple’s prominence and the scale of the alleged gold theft.
Meanwhile, Unnikrishnan Potty, the prime accused in the case concerning the missing gold from both the Dwarapalaka idols and Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) door frames, has filed a plea seeking regular bail. Potty argued that the statutory period for custody without filing a chargesheet had lapsed and claimed he was unaware that the plates he handled were made of gold.
Public prosecutor Siju Rajan clarified that under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), a person can be held in custody for a maximum of 60 days without a chargesheet. The court is scheduled to consider Potty’s bail plea on December 18, following a report from the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case.
The SIT has so far arrested six individuals connected to the two gold theft cases, including Potty and two former TDB presidents. The investigation continues to unravel the details of the alleged theft, which has shaken the faith community and raised questions about temple security protocols.
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