Kochi: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged Sabarimala gold theft case has recorded the formal statement of actor Jayaram at his Chennai residence and is likely to list him as a key witness in the case.
The SIT is investigating two cases related to the alleged theft of gold from the idols of the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) in the temple and the door of the Srikovil (sanctum sanctorum).
The actor was questioned after videos surfaced of Potti attending a puja organized in Chennai in 2019.
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Meanwhile, Kerala High Court has expressed strong displeasure with the SIT over the delay in investigation. Since the police failed to file the charge sheet within 90 days, some of the main accused have been released on “default bail”. According to law, if the charge sheet is not filed within this time, the accused are entitled to bail. This is exactly what happened to the prime suspect Unnikrishnan Potty and another man named Murari Babu.
Earlier on January 23, the Kollam vigilance court had granted statutory bail to former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) administrative officer Murari Babu in two cases related to the alleged loss of gold at the Sabarimala temple. The court granted bail after 90 days had passed since his arrest and the Special Investigation Team (SIT) failed to file a chargesheet within the stipulated period.
Murari Babu is the second accused in the case relating to the alleged loss of gold from the plates of the idol of the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity), and the sixth accused in the case relating to the alleged loss of gold from the doors of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum). He is currently lodged in the special sub jail in Thiruvananthapuram and is expected to be released by Friday evening.
He will be the first accused arrested in the Sabarimala gold theft case to be released from jail. Murari Babu was arrested in October last year on conspiracy charges after he allegedly sent a proposal to the TDB for electroplating the Dwarapalaka idols and Srikovil door frames as suggested by key accused Unnikrishnan Potti. At the time of his arrest, Murari Babu was serving as Deputy Devaswom Commissioner in Haripad and was later suspended from service following the incident.
Meanwhile, Unnikrishnan Potti had secured statutory bail in the Dwarapalaka Moorthy case, although he remains in custody in connection with the Srikovil doorframe case. The SIT has so far convicted 16 accused in the Dwarpalaka Murthy case and 13 accused in the Srikovil doorframe case. Meanwhile, the court extended the remand of another accused, Thantri Kandararu Rajeevaru, by 14 days, fixing his bail plea on January 28.