Varkala (Kerala), March 4 (IANS) Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V.D. Satheesan on Wednesday accused the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of deliberately weakening the Sabarimala gold smuggling case, alleging that the failure to file a charge sheet within 90 days enabled key accused and senior CPI-M leader A. Padmakumar, to secure statutory bail.Addressing the media soon after the news came that Padmakumar had secured bail, Satheesan said that under the law, an accused is entitle…
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Kollam, Feb 18 (IANS) Tantri Kantarar Rajeevar on Wednesday was granted bail by the Kollam Vigilance Court in connection with the Sabarimala gold theft case, marking a significant development in the high-profile probe.The relief came on bail applications filed in the Kattillappalli case and the Dwarapalaka idol case.The court observed that, at this stage, there is no prima facie evidence directly linking the tantri to the alleged gold theft at Sabarimala.It also accepted the defence argument tha…
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 31 (IANS) Congress Working Committee member and senior legislator Ramesh Chennithala has called on the CPI(M) to expel former MLA A. Padmakumar, who is in judicial custody in the Sabarimala gold theft case. In an open letter to CPI(M) national general secretary M.A. Baby, Chennithala stated that Padmakumar’s continued membership raises concerns, especially given court findings linking him to the alleged conspiracy.Padmakumar, a long-standing member of the CPI(M) Pathana…
Kochi, Jan 21 (IANS) The Kerala High Court on Wednesday came down heavily in the Sabarimala gold heist case, observing that what occurred at Sabarimala amounted to an organised plunder and that the accused had acted in concert to loot the assets of Lord Ayyappa.Justice A. Badharudeen made these remarks while dismissing the bail pleas of former Travancore Devaswom Board president A. Padmakumar and co-accused Govardhan and Murari Babu.The order was issued on petitions that had earlier been reserve…
Kochi, Jan 12 (IANS) The Kerala High Court on Monday issued a scathing rebuke of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) handling the Sabarimala gold theft case over its failure to arrest accused K.P. Sankaradas.The bench noted that Sankaradas, a former member of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), has been hospitalised since being named as an accused and that his son, a top police official, accompanied him to the hospital, questioning the legitimacy of the reasons given for his non-arrest.The cri…
Kollam, Jan 7 (IANS) The Kollam Vigilance Court on Wednesday rejected the bail plea of former Travancore Devaswom Board president A. Padmakumar in the Sabarimala gold theft case, while Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan levelled serious allegations against the CPI(M), accusing it of protecting those involved in the alleged crime.Padmakumar is a former MLA and presently a secretariat member of the CPI(M) Pathanamthitta district committee.The court passed the order in the case relating to the Dwa…
Kochi/Thiruvananthapuram Dec 30 (IANS) Fresh political heat has built up around the Sabarimala gold theft case with senior Congress leaders alleging deliberate attempts to slow down the investigation, even as the Kerala High Court on Tuesday orally observed that there are allegations of the probe “lagging”. Congress Working Committee member and senior legislator Ramesh Chennithala, on Tuesday, questioned how such a major incident could have taken place at Sabarimala without the knowledge of …
Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 30 (IANS) The statement given by senior CPI(M) activist and former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) member N. Vijayakumar, soon after his arrest by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in the Sabarimala gold heist case, has placed the ruling party in an increasingly uncomfortable position.Vijayakumar told investigators on Monday that he signed key documents related to the controversial gold-plating works only after being instructed to do so by “comrade” A. Padmakumar, …
Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 29 (IANS) N. Vijayakumar, a former Travancore Devaswom Board member and a senior CPI(M) activist and former top office-bearer of the party-backed state organisation of government employees, was taken into custody in the Sabarimala gold theft case after detailed questioning at the Crime Branch office, here on Monday.Vijayakumar was a member of the Devaswom Board when it was headed by former president A. Padmakumar. His arrest has marked a significant turn in the investigat…
Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 24 (IANS) The investigation into the Sabarimala gold and idol smuggling case has gathered pace, with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) expanding its operations across multiple states, even as former Devaswom Board members move courts fearing arrest. Ever since the Kerala High Court-appointed SIT began its probe, nine people have been arrested.Based on information from veteran CWC member and senior legislator Ramesh Chennithala, the SIT has intensified efforts to trace …