Kollam, March 19 (IANS) In the controversial Sabarimala gold theft case, two more accused Pankaj Bhandari and Govardhan were granted bail by the trial court at Kollam on Thursday.They were granted statutory bail after the prosecution failed to file a chargesheet within the stipulated time.The Kollam Vigilance Court allowed their release, noting that the mandatory 90 day remand period had expired without progress in filing the final report.With this, the total number of accused who have secured b…
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Kollam (Kerala), Feb 11 (IANS) A vigilance court in Kerala’s Kollam on Wednesday granted statutory bail to former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) President and Commissioner N. Vasu in the Sabarimala gold misappropriation case.The relief comes after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) failed to file a charge sheet within 90 days of his arrest, a lapse that legally entitled the accused to default bail.Vasu, arrested on November 11, 2025, is the third accused in the alleged gold-plating irregulari…
Kochi, Jan 27 (IANS) The Kerala High Court on Tuesday came down heavily on the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Sabarimala gold theft cases, expressing serious concern over the delays in filing charge sheets that have enabled key accused to walk free on statutory bail.So far, 13 people have so far been arrested in the two charge sheets filed by the SIT, and one person has now secured statutory bail.A bench of Justice A. Badaruddin warned that such lapses erode public confidence in th…
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 21 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate’s late-night raids across three states have marked a significant escalation in the Sabarimala gold heist probe, with the central agency for the first time entering the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) headquarters and seizing key records.The coordinated operation, conducted at 21 locations linked to 22 individuals — including 13 accused currently in judicial custody — has sent shockwaves through Kerala’s political and administrat…
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 9 (IANS) The investigation into the Sabarimala gold theft case took a dramatic turn on Friday with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) arresting temple tantri Kantaru Rajeevar, marking a major escalation in the high-profile probe.According to official sources, the SIT took Rajeevar into custody after he repeatedly failed to appear before investigators despite being served multiple notices over the past several days.Investigators said the tantri had been evading summons, …
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 9 (IANS) The Sabarimala gold theft case took a significant turn on Friday with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) taking into custody Sabarimala temple ‘tantri’ (priest) Kantaru Rajeevar, even as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The twin developments have intensified the political and investigative focus on the high-profile case, particularly in the run-up to the Assembly elections in Kerala.The SIT …
Kochi, Jan 6 (IANS) The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has submitted a detailed report to the Kerala High Court, “exposing” a meticulously planned conspiracy behind the Sabarimala gold smuggling case. According to the report, the accused had orchestrated a large-scale theft, with key players including prime accused Unnikrishnan Potti, Pankaj Bhandari, and Bellary-based gold trader Govardhan.The investigation describes the crime as organised and executed with elaborate planning to evade detecti…
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 1 (IANS) The Sabarimala gold heist case has emerged as a far more extensive and meticulously executed crime than initially believed, with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) detecting that gold was systematically removed from multiple sacred structures within the hill shrine, pointing to an organised and prolonged operation.According to a crucial report submitted by the SIT before the Kerala High Court recently, the theft was not limited to one place in the temple.Invest…