Senior Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, VD Satheesan, on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Sabarimala gold theft case, alleging that lapses in the investigation had resulted in the accused securing bail. He further claimed that the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) was behind the SIT’s failure to file the charge sheet on time.
Addressing the media here, Satheesan said the accused obtained bail because the SIT failed to file the charge sheet within the stipulated 90-day period. He alleged that the delay was due to the intervention of the Chief Minister’s Office and added that the SIT was not discharging its responsibilities properly. He also pointed out that the gold stolen from Sabarimala had not yet been fully recovered.
Satheesan warned that granting bail to the accused could lead to further destruction of evidence. “The delay in filing even an interim charge sheet results in the release of the accused on statutory bail. There are allegations that the Chief Minister’s Office is exerting undue pressure on the SIT, and the court’s observation that the investigation has been slow only reinforces this,” he said.
He clarified that he had not previously blamed the SIT and that he still had faith in the team, but said it had now failed in its duty. “This is the reality—if the charge sheet is not filed within 90 days, the accused get statutory bail. Once released, there is a real possibility of evidence being destroyed. No accused in this case has been granted bail by the court on merit; all have been released on statutory bail,” Satheesan said, adding that both the High Court and the Supreme Court had taken a strict view of the matter.
Referring to court observations, he said the judiciary had questioned how those accused of looting “Ayyappan’s gold” could seek bail. “Creating a situation that allows such accused to secure statutory bail is unacceptable,” he added.
Satheesan further alleged that although three prominent CPM leaders were jailed in connection with the theft of Ayyappan’s gold, the party had taken no action against them. He reiterated that the accused should not have been granted statutory bail and maintained that pressure from the Chief Minister’s Office was responsible for the SIT’s failure to file the charge sheet.
He also alleged attempts to shield the accused in the Payyannur fund embezzlement case, claiming that the CPM was conducting its own internal inquiry and closing the matter. Failure to inform the police about fund embezzlement amounts to a serious criminal offence, he said.
Meanwhile, the Kollam Vigilance Court on Friday granted statutory bail to former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) administrative officer Murari Babu in two cases related to the alleged loss of gold at the Sabarimala temple. Vigilance Court Judge Mohit C.S. granted bail as 90 days had elapsed since Murari Babu’s arrest and the SIT had failed to file charge sheets in both cases.
Earlier, the court had granted bail to the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potti, in the case related to the alleged loss of gold from the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) door frames of the Lord Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala. However, Potti remains in judicial custody as he has also been arrested in connection with the alleged loss of gold from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols of the temple.