Kochi, 06 Jan (H.S.):The Kerala High Court on Tuesday is set to re-examine the bail applications of former Travancore Devaswom Board president A. Padmakumar and Bellary-based gold trader Govardhan, both of whom are currently in judicial remand in connection with the sensational Sabarimala gold heist case. The court will also consider a petition filed by BJP State president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, seeking a CBI probe into the alleged misappropriation of temple gold.

In his bail plea, Padmakumar has categorically denied the findings of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), maintaining that he is innocent. He argued that, as a person holding an administrative position in the Devaswom Board, his role was limited to supervising staff deployed at Sabarimala in the course of their official duties. He asserted that he never took any unilateral decisions and that all actions related to temple administration were collective and procedural in nature.

Gold trader Govardhan, in his bail application, has also claimed innocence, stating that he has been a long-standing donor to the Sabarimala temple. He submitted that when he realised that over 400 grams of gold received from Unnikrishnan Potti belonged to the temple, he promptly returned it in the form of a ₹10 lakh demand draft and a 10-sovereign gold chain. Govardhan further contended that he has so far donated nearly ₹1.5 crore to the shrine, arguing that there was no motive or necessity for him to indulge in any fraudulent activity.

Earlier, the Kerala High Court had expressed satisfaction with the progress of the SIT investigation into the gold heist. The Devaswom Bench noted that although certain individuals attempted to conceal records, the SIT was able to trace and recover crucial documents. The court stressed that the probe must proceed fearlessly and transparently, and permitted the SIT chief to induct officers with proven integrity into the investigation team, while keeping the court informed of such steps.

The SIT has informed the court that 181 witnesses have been examined so far. Emphasising the need for an independent probe, the High Court directed the SIT to continue its investigation without yielding to any external pressure.

The court has also ordered that the case be investigated in four distinct phases: the gold plating carried out by the UB Group in 1998; the removal of gold plating from the sanctum structures in 2019; the transport of the Dwarapalaka idols for re-plating; and the most recent re-gilding of the Dwarapalaka sculptures in 2025.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman