Thiruvananthapuram, 13 April (H.S.): In a key development in the Sabarimala gold heist case, former Travancore Devaswom Board member K.P. Sankaradas has been granted statutory bail by the Kollam Vigilance Court. The court allowed bail in two cases linked to the alleged theft, making him the last accused to secure release.
With this, all those arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in connection with the case are now out on bail.
Sankaradas was arrested on January 14 and had earlier approached the court multiple times seeking bail on health grounds, but his pleas were rejected. His latest application was granted as the SIT failed to file a chargesheet within the legally mandated 90-day period. Under law, an accused becomes eligible for default bail if the investigation is not completed within this timeframe.
He is an accused in the Kattillappally case and the Dwarapalaka idol-related case, both of which are part of the broader Sabarimala gold theft investigation. The case has drawn significant attention due to its connection with the Sabarimala temple and alleged misappropriation of valuable temple assets.
Out of the 13 accused in the case, the SIT had arrested 12. Earlier, nine of them were granted statutory bail after completing 90 days in remand, while two others secured bail during the remand period itself.
The delay in filing the chargesheet has now resulted in all arrested accused being released, raising concerns over the pace of the investigation.
Legal experts note that statutory bail is a legal right and does not amount to acquittal. The SIT is expected to continue its probe and file the chargesheet in due course.
---------------
Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman
