Gold Misappropriation Scandal at Sabarimala Temple

A vigilance court deliberated on the statutory bail for Unnikrishnan Potty in the case involving the alleged gold misappropriation from Sabarimala Temple's idols. While Potty had previously secured bail, the public prosecutor opposed it. Other TDB officials received similar relief due to procedural delays.

A vigilance court on Wednesday reserved its decision on whether to grant statutory bail to Unnikrishnan Potty, the prime accused in the alleged misappropriation of gold from the Dwarapalaka idols at Sabarimala Temple. Potty, a businessman based in Bengaluru, had already secured statutory bail on January 21 related to a similar case involving the temple's sanctum sanctorum doorframes.

The public prosecutor, Siju Rajan, representing the Special Investigation Team (SIT), argued against Potty's bail, citing ongoing concerns with the investigation. Previously, former TDB administrative officers, B Murari Babu and S Sreekumar, had received bail due to procedural delays in filing the chargesheet, although Sreekumar was not implicated in the ongoing case.

Additional TDB officials, including executive officer D Sudheesh Kumar, also benefited from similar rulings. So far, the SIT has arrested 12 individuals, involving two former TDB presidents, in connection with this high-profile case.

(With inputs from agencies.)