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The Kollam Vigilance Court on Wednesday granted bail to Former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) President A Padmakumar in the Sabrimala Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) sculptures theft case.
The case dealt with the 2019 theft of the gilded overlays of the temple's Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) panels and the alleged manipulation of documents. A Padmakumar had previously received natural bail in the door-frame gold plating case, and is expected to be released from jail. The Sabarimala gold theft case concerns allegations of the misappropriation of approximately 4.54 kilograms of gold from sacred temple artefacts, including the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) door frames and Dwarapalaka idols. The theft allegedly occurred in 2019 under the pretext of refinishing and re-gold-plating temple structures. The controversy traces its origin to a 1998 donation by industrialist Vijay Mallya, who had gifted 30.3 kilograms of gold and 1,900 kilograms of copper for gold plating and cladding work at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple. Subsequent inspections and court-monitored inquiries revealed discrepancies between the donated gold and the quantity allegedly used. Earlier in January, the Kollam Vigilance Court granted statutory bail to former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) administrative officer Murari Babu. The court granted bail after 90 days had elapsed since his arrest, and the Special Investigation Team (SIT) failed to file charge sheets within the stipulated period. Murari Babu is the second accused in the case concerning the alleged loss of gold from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idol plates, and the sixth accused in the case related to the alleged loss of gold from the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) doorframes. Unnikrishnan Potti, a former helper and the sponsor of gold-plating works at the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple, was also granted bail in the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols case. He remains the main accused in the Sabarimala gold theft case. (ANI)
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