Kochi, March 26 (IANS) In a significant development, the Kerala High Court on Thursday closed the corruption and irregularities case related to the reconstruction of the golden flag mast at Sabarimala, bringing an end to a controversy that had triggered intense political and public debate.The court accepted, in full, the quick verification report submitted by the Vigilance department and ruled that no further proceedings were required.Endorsing the Vigilance findings, the court observed that the…
Latest Sabarimala News & Updates
Kozhikode, March 25 (IANS) Congress president Mallikarjuna Kharge on Wednesday formally launched the United Democratic Front’s (UDF) election campaign in Kerala, framing the contest as a decisive battle to “restore the state to its people” while mounting a sharp, multi-pronged attack on both the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the BJP. Addressing a massive rally in Kozhikode, Kharge alleged a tacit understanding between the CPI(M)led LDF and the BJP, claiming that “a vote for the …
Kochi, March 24 (IANS) The Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Tuesday approached the Kerala High Court seeking cancellation of bail granted to tantri Kantarar Rajeevar in the second case linked to the alleged Sabarimala gold theft, intensifying legal scrutiny over the high-profile probe.The court has decided to consider both petitions together, including an earlier appeal in the Dwarapalaka plank case.The first appeal pertains to the Dwarapalaka plank case, where bail was granted on the 41st da…
New Delhi, March 24 (IANS) Ahead of the commencement of hearings before a nine-judge Constitution Bench in the Sabarimala review matter, written submissions filed on behalf of the Travancore Devaswom Board have urged the Supreme Court to adopt a “community-centric and subjective” understanding of religion under Article 25 of the Constitution, cautioning against judicial reinterpretation of religious beliefs and practices.The submissions, settled by senior advocate Dr Abhishek Singhvi, conten…
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…
Thiruvananthapuram, March 13 (IANS) With polls approaching, Kerala’s Pinarayi Vijayan government has softened its earlier rigid stand on the Sabarimala women’s entry issue.The state government is preparing to submit a new affidavit on Saturday in the Supreme Court, stating that temple customs must be protected and that it is ready to reconsider its earlier position on allowing women of all ages to enter the shrine.Political circles say that this unexpected “U-turn” by Chief Minister Pinara…
Kochi, March 13 (IANS) The Kerala High Court on Friday made it clear that it will not interfere in the ongoing investigation into the alleged gold theft linked to Sabarimala Temple, observing that a competent officer is handling the investigation under judicial supervision.The observation came when the court considered a petition seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the incident, popularly referred to as the Sabarimala gold theft case.A Devaswom Bench of the High Cou…
Kochi, March 5 (IANS) The Kerala High Court on Thursday flagged discrepancies in the accounts related to the Global Ayyappa Sangamam and directed the auditor to submit a detailed report within ten days.The issue came up during the court’s examination of alleged financial irregularities connected with the event.During the hearing, the auditor informed the court that inconsistencies had been detected in the financial statements submitted in connection with the programme.Taking note of the submis…
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…
New Delhi, Feb 27 (IANS) Workers of BJP Kerala Yuva Morcha staged a protest outside the residence of senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi over the gold theft case related to the Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala. The protest, led by former Union Minister Anurag Thakur, saw Kerala BJP Yuva Morcha raising questions over the “silence” of the Congress leadership over the issue, while demanding an immediate, impartial, and transparent investigation by the CBI into the matter.On the occasion, BJP Yuva Morch…