Sabarimala gold theft case: Prime accused Potty gets statutory bail
Kollam vigilance court grants statutory bail to the prime accused as SIT fails to file a chargesheet within the 90-day deadline for the temple theft cases
A vigilance court in Kollam, Kerala, on Wednesday (February 4) granted statutory bail to prime accused Unnikrishnan Potty.
The statutory bail was given in the second case involving the alleged misappropriation of gold from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols of the Sabarimala temple.
Bengaluru-based businessman, Potty, had on January 21 secured statutory bail in the case related to alleged misappropriation of gold from the door frames of temple's Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum).
No chargesheet
The court granted him the relief as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the cases related to the Sabarimala gold loss has not yet filed its chargesheet in the two matters within the stipulated 90 days after arrest of the accused.
Public prosecutor Siju Rajan, representing the SIT, had opposed the grant of bail to Potty.
Also read: Kerala politics on the boil as Sabarimala case explodes; arrested priest in hospital
Getting bail in both cases has paved the way for Potty to be released from jail.
Similar reliefs have already been obtained by former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) administrative officers B Murari Babu and S Sreekumar as the chargesheet was not filed within the stipulated time.
Sreekumar has not been made an accused in the second case involving the loss of gold from the doorframes of Sreekovil.
Besides them, TDB executive officer D Sudheesh Kumar got the same relief on the same grounds on Monday.
The SIT has arrested 12 persons, including two former TDB presidents, to date.
(With inputs from agencies)