Sabarimala gold theft: Bail hearing for Tantri pushed to Feb 2

In Kollam, a Vigilance Court on Wednesday postponed the bail plea hearing of Sabarimala Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru to February 2, in a case linked to the alleged theft of gold from the door frame of the temple sanctum sanctorum. A separate bail plea for the theft of gold from the Dwarapalaka idols is expected to be taken up on Thursday. The court also extended the judicial remand of four other accused in the Sabarimala case by 14 days, including former Thiruvabharanam Commissioner K.S. Baiju, Smart Creations owner Pankaj Bhandari, a Bellary-based jeweller Govardhan, and former administrative officer S. Sreekumar, whose prior remand had expired. The proceedings unfolded with public prosecutor Siju Rajan representing the state and senior advocate B. Raman Pillai appearing online for the defense.

For those seeking statutory bail, former Sabarimala Executive Officer D. Sudheesh Kumar, arrested on October 23, has completed 90 days in custody and is likely to approach the court seeking statutory bail, given that the SIT has not filed the chargesheet within the prescribed time. Another accused, former Administrative Officer Murari Babu, has recently been granted bail and released from custody. The ongoing hearings reflect the slow-moving but persistent legal process surrounding the temple gold theft case, as cross-arguments and documentary evidence are digested by the court.

In a related legal milieu, the court has kept the door open for further arguments on Bail Plea petitions, while noting that delays in the chargesheet could influence statutory bail outcomes. The case continues to draw public attention as investigators press for charges and the accused prepare their defenses, aware that every delay can shape the trajectory of the legal proceedings and potential bail outcomes.

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