The Kerala High Court dropped a bombshell on Tuesday, castigating the Sabarimala gold theft SIT for inexcusable delays in charge sheets that hand statutory bail to prime suspects. Justice A. Badaruddin’s pointed remarks underscored the peril to investigative credibility amid this revered shrine’s scandal.
Thirteen arrests stem from dual charge sheets, but one release via statutory bail exemplifies the fallout. The court decried how timeline breaches spawn suspicions, eroding agency trust and probe gravity. Proactive steps were glaringly absent, the bench observed.
Murari Babu, erstwhile Devaswom administrator in both Dwarapalika and Kattilppala heists, basks in statutory freedom. Unnikrishnan Potti, central to the duo, holds bail in one and anticipates it in the other post-February 2. ‘Default releases blemish the entire process,’ the judge declared.
Bail arguments by Smart Creations CEO Pankaj Bhandari highlighted his pre-charge cooperation via multiple statements, deeming arrest superfluous. Firmly, the court mandated arrests while safeguarding rights per Supreme Court norms, including bail provisions.
SIT rebutted with tales of evidentiary snags: temple documents in hand, but scientific proofs pending to forge airtight cases. Bail notwithstanding, the mission to convict and deliver justice remains paramount, they pledged.
Assembly fireworks saw CM Pinarayi Vijayan sparring with V.D. Satheesan, accusations flying thick. Two protesting MLAs outside leveled indirect meddling claims at the CM. As judicial warnings ring loud, the onus intensifies on SIT to reclaim momentum, ensuring devotees’ faith in institutional redress.