Kollam, 13 April (H.S.):The Vigilance Court in Kollam is set to consider the default bail plea of former Devaswom Board member K.P. Sankaradas in connection with the Sabarimala gold smuggling case on Monday. If bail is granted, all accused in the case will be out of custody, marking a significant development in the high-profile investigation.

The case has seen most of the accused secure bail due to the failure of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to file a chargesheet within the stipulated time frame. Under legal provisions, this delay has enabled the accused to seek default bail after completing 90 days in judicial custody.

Out of the 13 accused in the case, 12 were arrested by the SIT. Among them, nine individuals have already been granted default bail, while two others secured bail during the remand period itself. Sankaradas remains the only accused still in custody, making his plea crucial in determining the current status of all those implicated.

Sankaradas, who was arrested on January 14, had earlier approached the court multiple times seeking bail on health grounds, but his requests were denied. With the completion of 90 days in remand, he has now moved for default bail, which is expected to be granted with conditions by the court.

Meanwhile, another accused in the case, S. Jayashree, had earlier secured anticipatory bail from the Supreme Court.

The case also overlaps with other related investigations, including the Kattillapally case and the Dwarapalaka idol case, where Sankaradas is listed as an accused.

Legal experts indicate that the granting of default bail in such cases does not absolve the accused but highlights procedural lapses in the investigation. The court’s decision is expected later in the day.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman