The Kerala High Court criticized the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for failing to arrest accused K.P. Sankaradas in the Sabarimala gold theft case. Sankaradas, a former member of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), has been hospitalized since being named as an accused, with his son, a senior police official, accompanying him, raising doubts about the reasons for not arresting him.
The court’s rebuke came during the bail plea hearing of three accused individuals: gold trader Govardhan, former Devaswom Board President A. Padmakumar, and Murari Babu. The court adjourned the hearing to announce its decision later, expressing dissatisfaction with the SIT’s actions.
Questioning the conduct of the SIT, the court criticized the irregularities in the state and expressed disapproval of the investigation officers’ and SIT’s actions. It also scrutinized the involvement of sponsors associated with the Sabarimala temple administration, suggesting flaws in the SIT’s investigative approach.
The court emphasized that Padmakumar cannot evade accountability for his deeds and raised doubts about the necessity of the board, pondering why a single person like Unnikrishnan Potti could not handle all matters. Notably, Potti, the first accused in the case, is among the 12 individuals, including Padmakumar and N. Vijayakumar, who were board members during the theft incident.
