Dwarapalaka idols of Sabarimala 
Kerala

Former TDB member's bail plea rejected in Sabarimala gold loss cases

A court here dismissed the bail petitions filed by a former member of the Travancore Devaswom Board in two cases related to the Sabarimala gold loss incident.

Kollam | A court here on Monday dismissed the bail petitions filed by a former member of the Travancore Devaswom Board in two cases related to the Sabarimala gold loss incident.

Kollam Vigilance Court Judge Mohit CS rejected the pleas after examining the medical records of the accused, who is the 15th accused in the case concerning the alleged gold loss from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and the 11th accused in the case relating to the gold loss from the doorframes of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum).

Advocate G Mohanraj, appearing for the accused, told PTI that bail had been sought on medical grounds, but the court denied the request.

The former board member was part of the TDB when gold artefacts were allegedly permitted to be handed over to the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potty, for replating in 2019.

He was admitted to hospital following health issues and was arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on January 14 this year.

So far, seven persons, including the prime accused Unnikrishnan Potty, have been granted bail by the court.

Former board member N Vijayakumar and Ballari-based jeweller Govardhan Roddam have also approached the court seeking bail.

The SIT probing the cases has informed the Kerala High Court that the chargesheet will be filed before March 31.

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