Sabarimala Gold Heist Case: Court Denies Bail to TDB Ex-chief Padmakumar

KOLLAM:
The Sabarimala gold heist investigation took a significant turn on Friday, with the Kollam Vigilance Court rejecting the bail application of former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) President A. Padmakumar.

The court dismissed his plea linked to the Kattillappalli sub-case, marking a setback for the senior CPI(M) leader as the probe tightens around alleged procedural lapses and suspected illicit handling of temple assets.

Padmakumar is also a former CPI(M) legislator who represented the Konni Assembly constituency and is considered close to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Padmakumar, who headed the TDB during the period in question, had argued in his bail plea that the decision to hand over the palika (gold sheets) to the first accused, Unnikrishnan Potti, was a collective one, taken with the full knowledge and approval of all board members.

He maintained that the minutes of the meeting — which controversially recorded the material as “copper” instead of gold — were prepared transparently and with the consent of the entire board.

In his application, Padmakumar strongly objected to being singled out as the sole accused for a decision he claimed was shared across the institution’s leadership.

He alleged that investigative agencies were attempting to isolate him while sparing other members who, he insisted, bore equal responsibility.

This contention, however, failed to convince the court, which refused to grant relief.

The rejection is seen as an important development in the high-profile case involving the alleged misappropriation and smuggling of temple property from the sacred Sabarimala shrine.

The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB), which is spearheading the probe, has been examining procedural violations and suspected manipulation of records.

Meanwhile, the case’s prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potti, has also moved the Kollam Vigilance Court seeking bail.

His application is scheduled to come up for hearing on December 18, and the outcome is expected to influence the trajectory of the wider investigation.

With the VACB tightening scrutiny and courts taking a firm stance, the Sabarimala gold heist case is set to remain in political and legal focus in the coming weeks.

So far, six people have been arrested, and all are in jail.

In the coming days, the Kerala High Court-appointed SIT is likely to record the arrest of a few more people and is expected to call more for questioning.