4 months ago
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The Kerala High Court connected Wednesday denied bail to erstwhile Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president A. Padmakumar, Bellary-based golden merchant Roddam Govardhan, and erstwhile Sabarimala enforcement serviceman Murari Babu, accused successful the alleged misappropriation of golden from the Dwarapalaka statues and doorway frames of the Sreekovil astatine the Sabarimala temple.
A Bench of Justice A. Badharudeen observed that the accused who were duty-bound to support and sphere the temple spot jointly looted it successful the guise of safeguarding it.
Denying bail to Mr. Padmakumar, a erstwhile MLA, the tribunal noted that helium was influential and that his merchandise could impede the investigation, including the betterment of the remaining misappropriated gold. Although Mr. Padmakumar was arrested successful November 2025, erstwhile TDB officials N. Vijayakumar and K.P. Sankardas were arrested lone recently.
The tribunal noted that allowing Mr. Padmakumar’s merchandise astatine this signifier would forestall the investigating serviceman from questioning each stakeholders unneurotic to find however the golden was misappropriated.
The tribunal observed that the probe was inactive successful advancement and that a important information of the allegedly misappropriated golden was yet to beryllium recovered. While 4,147 gm of golden was believed to person been misappropriated successful some cases, lone 474.960 gm had been recovered from Mr. Govardhan truthful far.
Failure to retrieve the remaining gold, the tribunal noted, would supply the accused with an undue vantage to evade penal consequences, rendering the prosecution ineffective. The tribunal truthful directed the investigating serviceman to prioritise this facet to guarantee a thorough and meaningful investigation.
The tribunal besides highlighted the unsocial value of the misappropriated gold, emphasising that its removal from the Dwarapalaka pillars and doorway frames truthful adjacent to the ineffable deity made its antique and spiritual worth intolerable to quantify successful monetary terms. “These factors springiness the crimes an autarkic identity, distinguishing them from mean offences wherever bail is much routinely granted.”
Consequently, the tribunal concluded that the premature merchandise of Mr. Govardhan would importantly obstruct the investigation. It further noted that immoderate imaginable engagement of persons beyond the already arraigned accused indispensable besides beryllium investigated.
The tribunal besides directed the Medical Superintendent of the Government Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, to represent a committee to taxable a elaborate study connected the information of Mr. Sankardas and the attraction being provided.
The study should see a circumstantial sentiment connected whether continued hospitalisation was necessary, whether attraction could beryllium continued wrong jail, whether backstage infirmary attraction was essential, and whether helium suffered from immoderate superior information warranting continued hospitalisation.
