In the Sabarimala gold theft case, two additional accused, Pankaj Bhandari and Govardhan, were recently given bail by the trial court in Kollam. They obtained statutory bail due to the prosecution’s failure to file a chargesheet within the required timeframe.
The Kollam Vigilance Court approved their release, citing the expiration of the 90-day remand period without progress in submitting the final report. This development brings the total number of individuals who have secured bail in the case to ten.
Among the accused, eight have been released on statutory grounds, shedding light on procedural deficiencies that have hindered the prosecution’s case in this high-profile investigation involving alleged temple gold diversion.
Govardhan, a jewelry trader from Bellary, Karnataka, previously sought bail from the Supreme Court after the Kerala High Court denied his plea. Despite his claims of being a devoted follower of Lord Ayyappa with no connection to the theft, he was arrested by the Special Investigation Team for purchasing stolen gold.
