Kerala HC Warns SIT Over Delay in Sabarimala Gold Theft Case

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday expressed strong displeasure over the delay by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in filing chargesheets related to the gold theft cases linked to Sabarimala. The court voiced serious concerns that the delay was allowing key accused to secure statutory bail, thereby casting doubts on the credibility of the investigation.

So far, the SIT has filed two chargesheets resulting in the arrest of 13 individuals, while one accused has already been granted statutory bail. The bench, led by Justice A. Badaruddin, warned that such lapses erode public trust in investigative agencies and raise questions about the seriousness of the probe.

The court noted that failure to file chargesheets within the statutory timeframe leads to the release of accused individuals, which in turn fuels widespread suspicion. It questioned why the SIT had not taken effective steps to prevent this situation in a timely manner.

Justice Badaruddin remarked, “When accused persons are released due to procedural defaults, it inevitably casts a shadow on the integrity of the investigation.”

The court also highlighted that Murari Babu, a former administrative officer of the Devaswom Board and an accused in both the Dwarapalaka and Kattilappala cases, had already been granted statutory bail.

Further, it noted that the main accused in both cases, Unnikrishnan Potty, has been granted bail in the Dwarapalaka case and is expected to be eligible for statutory bail in the Kattilappala case once the 90-day statutory period ends on February 2.

These observations were made during the hearing of a bail petition filed by Pankaj Bhandari, CEO of Smart Creations, who argued that he had cooperated fully by giving six statements before being named an accused, making his arrest unnecessary.

However, the court clarified that the arrest in this case could not have been avoided and emphasised that all arrested individuals must be granted all legal protections, including statutory bail, in accordance with Supreme Court guidelines.

Responding to the court’s concerns, the SIT explained that delays in filing the chargesheet were due to procedural and evidentiary challenges. It stated that documents had been seized from Devaswom Board offices and other locations but crucial scientific evidence required to conclusively prove the crime was still awaited.

The SIT assured that even if accused persons are released on bail, the investigation’s objective remains to bring the guilty to justice and hold the responsible accountable.

The issue also triggered a heated debate in the Kerala Assembly on Tuesday, with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and opposition leader V.D. Satishan exchanging sharp allegations. Two opposition MLAs staged a protest outside the Assembly, accusing the Chief Minister of indirect interference in the case.