The Kerala High Court criticized the Sabarimala gold heist as organized plunder, where the accused collaborated to steal Lord Ayyappa’s assets. Former Travancore Devaswom Board president A. Padmakumar and co-accused Govardhan and Murari Babu had their bail pleas rejected by Justice A. Badharudeen. The court, in a reserved judgment, highlighted the accused’s societal influence and the risk of them obstructing the investigation if granted bail.
The accused, including Padmakumar, were noted for their significant societal sway, raising concerns about potential misuse if released on bail. The High Court emphasized the need to recover all looted gold and investigate the involvement of additional individuals in the case. It stressed the importance of determining the missing gold’s whereabouts and conducting further questioning of the petitioners and recently arrested parties.
In a poignant conclusion, the court referenced lyrics from the Malayalam film Advaitham, stating that the disappearance of a substantial amount of gold from Sabarimala sannidhanam paralleled the film’s narrative. The court drew parallels between the film’s storyline and the Sabarimala gold heist, noting similarities in the themes portrayed. The song mentioned in the court’s order was penned by Kaithapram, set to music by M.G. Radhakrishnan, and sung by M.G. Sreekumar in Advaitham.
