Sabarimala Case

Kerala CM's office pressuring SIT to delay investigation: LoP Satheesan

The Congress-led UDF on Friday alleged that the Kerala Chief Minister's office was exerting pressure on the SIT against questioning a former Devaswom Minister in connection with the Sabarimala gold issue till the upcoming local body polls are over. Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan contended that the Congress claims of an illicit CPI(M)-BJP relationship have been proved by the recent revelation that CPI (M) MP John Brittas acted as intermediary in the signing of the PM SHRI memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the state government earlier. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had recently remarked that Brittas had "mediated" the signing of the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) MoU by the Kerala government. Following criticism from the opposition on the issue, the ruling CPI(M) and Brittas had claimed that he was only fulfilling his duty as an MP from the state in the interests of Kerala. Speaking to reporters here, Satheesan alleged t

Sabarimala missing gold: Chennithala accuses Kerala CM of shielding accused

Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Saturday accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of trying to protect the accused in the Sabarimala gold loss case. The incident had hurt the sentiments of Lord Ayyappa devotees across the world, he said, and added that the government was the prime accused in the case. The Congress leader said former presidents of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), A Padmakumar and N Vasu, had already been arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), but they could not do anything alone without "political support". He alleged that CM Vijayan was trying to protect them and others accused in the gold missing case. Referring to the reported reference of Padmakumar about the involvement of a "god-like person" in the case, Chennithala said, "in Marxist party who is god-like other than Pinarayi Vijayan?" "The present investigation into the case is not extending to the ministers as they have the support of the CM and the government. People of the state

Sabarimala missing gold: Court gives Padmakumar's custody to SIT for 2 days

A Kerala court on Wednesday sent CPI(M) leader and former TDB president A Padmakumar to the custody of the SIT, which is probing the loss of gold from the Lord Ayyappa shrine in Sabarimala, for two days, police said. The special vigilance court granted the request of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for Padmakumar's custody to question him in connection with the loss of gold from the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) door frames, police said. He has to be produced before the court on Thursday evening, when the custody period will get over, it said. According to the SIT appointed by the Kerala High Court, the former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president referred to the 'gold-plated copper plates' as 'copper plates' in the records. He was arrested last Thursday. Padmakumar, a former CPI(M) MLA who served as TDB president in 2019, is the eighth accused in the second case related to the missing gold from the Sreekovil door frames. The SIT is probing two cases, one involving gold lo

Central agencies can intervene in Sabarimala gold loss issue: George Kurian

Union Minister George Kurian on Saturday said that central agencies can intervene in the Sabarimala gold theft case if there is a black money angle and that "Lord Ayyappa will not spare" those involved in the irregularities. Kurian, the Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Minority Affairs, said that since an FIR has been lodged in connection with the irregularities, central agencies can intervene as per law. "The intervention will not be political. It will be as per law. I believe they (agencies) will do it," he said. He claimed that those arrested in connection with the irregularities were all "atheists" as "they went with a smile, content in the knowledge that they have carried out their ideological duties". Kurian alleged that the CPI(M) leadership looted the gold "so that there is no poverty in the party". "But there is no need to be concerned, Lord Ayyappa will not spare anyone," he said. Kurian was responding to reporters' queries here a

Sabarimala temple gold theft case: Former officer arrested by SIT

Investigators said Kumar had been associated with Sabarimala since the 1990s and knew the idols were covered in gold

Sabarimala gold theft case: SIT conducts searches in Ballari, Bengaluru

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the loss of gold from the Sabarimala temple conducted searches at the apartment of prime accused Unnikrishnan Potty in Bengaluru and at a jewellery shop in Ballari, officials said on Saturday. Potty was taken to Bengaluru as part of the investigation on Friday. Sources said the SIT searched the jewellery shop owned by Govardhan, who reportedly funded the gold-plating work of the temple's Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) door frame, which was officially sponsored by Potty. Officials said the SIT seized several gold bars from the jewellery shop. However, it is yet to be confirmed whether the seized gold was extracted from the gold-clad copper plates of the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols that were sent for electroplating in 2019, they added. The SIT has already recorded Govardhan's statement as part of the probe. Meanwhile, the team also searched Potty's apartment at Srirampura, Bengaluru, and visited an Ayyappa temple there, where he had

SIT arrests Sabarimala administrative officer in gold missing case

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the missing gold from the Sabarimala temple arrested former administrative officer B Murari Babu, sources said on Thursday. Babu, who was suspended by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) following the gold missing row, was taken into custody from his residence in Changanassery on Wednesday night, they said. He was later shifted to the Crime Branch office in Thiruvananthapuram for interrogation, officials said. Babu's relatives reached the Crime Branch office on Thursday morning. At around 10 am, SIT recorded Babu's arrest and informed his relative about the procedure, sources said. They were later allowed to meet the Babu. SIT will produce Babu before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Pathanamthitta here in the evening, officials said. SIT is likely to file a petition in court seeking custody of Babu for detailed interrogation. He is an accused in two cases related to the disappearance of gold from the gold-clad plates of

Sabarimala gold: SIT files first report in Kerala HC in sealed cover

The SIT probing the loss of gold from Sabarimala on Tuesday filed its first report in the Kerala High Court in a sealed cover, sources said. The report was submitted before a bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan and KV Jayakumar in in-camera proceedings, in the absence of lawyers, court sources added. Police officials said the report will detail the current status of the Special Investigation Team's probe into the gold loss. The High Court, while assigning the case to the SIT, had directed the team to file a progress report within two weeks and set a six-week deadline to complete the investigation. The SIT was constituted after a court-initiated plea revealed the loss of the gold. The plea arose when the bench was informed that the gold-plated copper claddings of the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols in Sabarimala had been removed for repair and renovation without notifying the court. Subsequently, a vigilance report highlighted lapses by Devaswom officials in connection with t

SIT to submit 1st progress report on Sabarimala gold case to Kerala HC

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the loss of gold from Sabarimala is expected to file its first progress report to the Kerala High Court soon, police sources said on Monday. The division bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan and KV Jayakumar will hear the case again on Tuesday. Sources told PTI that the SIT plans to submit the report on the same day. Officials said the report will cover the current status of the investigation, including the arrest of Bengaluru-based Unnikrishnan Potty, who sponsored the electroplating of gold-clad copper plates on the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum )door frames in 2019. It will also detail the investigation carried out at Chennai, where the plates were electroplated, sources said. The High Court, while assigning the SIT to the case, had directed the team to file a progress report within two weeks and set a six-week deadline to complete the investigation. The SIT has registered two cases related to

Kerala BJP accuses CPI(M) of using hijab row to divert from Sabarimala case

Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Friday accused the ruling CPI(M) of "manufacturing" the hijab controversy to divert attention from the Sabarimala gold missing case. Speaking to reporters, Chandrasekhar said the row over hijab use at St Rita's Public School in Palluruthy, Kochi, was being used to shift focus away from the alleged theft of 4.5 kilograms of gold from the Sabarimala temple. "This is a political tactic to draw attention away from the Sabarimala gold case. It will not succeed," he said, alleging the role of General Education Minister V Sivankutty in "manufacturing" a row over the matter. "The BJP will stand firmly to protect the rights of the school and its students," he told reporters at Tripunithura near here. He criticised State Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan and the Travancore Devaswom Board Chairman, demanding that both resign immediately. "If they have any sense of decency, they should step down. Otherwise, we will seek a central agency investigation,"

Kerala SIT arrests prime accused in Sabarimala temple missing gold case

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing cases related to gold missing from Kerala's Sabarimala temple arrested prime accused Unnikrishnan Potty on Friday, officials said. Police sources said Potty, a Bengaluru-based businessman who was taken into custody from his residence at Pulimath near here on Thursday, was interrogated at the Crime Branch office in Thiruvananthapuram. After the interrogation, the SIT recorded his arrest on Friday, the sources said. Later, Potty was taken to the government hospital for a medical examination. The SIT would be shifting him to Pathanamthitta by afternoon. He would be produced before a court in Ranni, Pathanamthitta, later. The SIT will also seek Potty's custody for detailed interrogation. The SIT constituted on the Kerala High Court's direction is currently investigating two cases -- one concerning the missing gold from the Dwarapalaka idols and another related to the loss of gold from the Sreekovil door frames. SIT officials are also loo

Sabarimala gold row: Retired HC judge reaches temple to prepare inventory

Kerala High Court retired Judge Justice K T Sankaran on Saturday reached Sabarimala here to prepare an inventory of all valuables, including gold, as directed by the HC to check the missing of gold-clad materials from the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) of the hill shrine. Justice Sankaran had arrived at Pampa, the foothills of Sabarimala, on October 10 and trekked to the temple around 8 am on Saturday. He was accompanied by Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) officials, including a goldsmith, sources said. The team will complete the examination of the strongroom at Sabarimala and prepare a detailed inventory. According to officials, after completing the procedures there, Justice Sankaran will also examine the TDB's main strongroom at Aranmula. A bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar had recommended Justice Sankaran for the task, citing his expertise in such matters. Upon completion, he will submit the report directly to the High Court. The court had earlier ordered

Kerala HC orders registration of criminal case over Sabarimala gold issue

The Kerala High Court on Friday directed the state police to register a criminal case in connection with the "misappropriation of gold" from the "side frame or lintels" of the shrine and launch an investigation. A bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar issued the direction after noting that from the investigation conducted till now, "it appears that insofar as the side frames or lintels are concerned, misappropriation of gold has been carried out". The bench further said that it was also revealed from the vigilance report placed before it that "substantial quantity of gold -- amounting to about 474.9 grams -- was handed over to Unnikrishnan Potty (the sponsor who offered to carry out the gold-plating)". "However, the records do not reveal that this quantity of gold was entrusted with the TDB (by him)," the court added. The bench directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by it to probe the side frame/lintels issue also along with all the other aspe

Kerala CM accuses Oppn of creating 'smokescreen' in Sabarimala gold row

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday accused the UDF-led opposition of creating a "smokescreen" over the Sabarimala gold-plating issue and said the government is not scared of any such attempts. He alleged that the Congress-led front were afraid of facts, and that is why they were continuously disrupting Assembly proceedings and reluctant to give a notice to discuss the matter in the House. The CM made the remarks in the Assembly when the session resumed after a brief break following a scuffle that broke in the Well of the House between UDF MLAs and watch-and-ward personnel during the question hour. The opposition legislators exchanged heated words with ruling party members during the question hour. The UDF members have been disrupting the House proceedings since Monday, seeking the resignation of Devaswom minister V N Vasavan over alleged irregularities linked to the reduced weight of gold-plated coverings on 'Dwarapalaka' idols at the Sabarimala temple. Vijayan sa

No fresh affidavit filed on Sabarimala, rituals strictly followed, says TDB

Travancore Devaswom Board President P S Prasanth on Wednesday said the board's last affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court in 2016 sought to protect the traditional rituals and customs related to the entry of young women in the Sabarimala temple. No new affidavit has been submitted since then, and the previous one is no longer relevant, he told reporters here. Prasanth was responding to a question about whether the TDB would change its position in the apex court regarding the entry of women of menstruating age group into the Lord Ayyappa shrine. The opposition Congress and BJP have asked the TDB to clarify its stance on the issue. The TDB president said in the past four to five years, all rituals and customs have been strictly followed at the Sabarimala temple, without any deviations. "The matter is pending before the constitutional bench of the Supreme Court. As far as the TDB is concerned, the last affidavit submitted by the Board in 2016 wanted to protect the rituals and cust

Sabarimala witnesses unprecedented rush of devotees ahead of Mandala pooja

The famed Lord Ayyappa temple here is witnessing unprecedented heavy rush on Wednesday morning with just hours left for the performance of the auspicious Mandala pooja at the hill shrine. Long queues of pilgrims carrying the sacred bundle of "irunmudikettu" on their heads and chanting "swamiye saranam Ayyappa" mantras could be seen at the Sannidhanam, the temple complex. The sea of devotees was waiting to get a glimpse of the mandala pooja which marks the culmination of the first leg of the two month-long annual pilgrimage at the Lord Ayyappa temple. A ceremonial procession carrying the sacred Thanka Anki (golden attire) of Lord Ayyappa reached the hill shrine here last evening. According to temple management sources, the pooja would be performed after adorning the 'anki' on the idol of Lord Ayyappa, the principal deity. The poojas and rituals would be performed between 10.30 am and 11.30 am, they said. After the Mandala Pooja, the shrine would be closed by 11.00 pm and would be

Over 13 Sabarimala pilgrims injured as bus overturns in Kottayam, Kerala

More than 13 Sabarimala pilgrims were injured after a bus they were travelling in was involved in an accident in Kottayam district on Wednesday morning, police said. The accident occurred at Kanamala, near Erumeli, they said. The pilgrims, hailing from Kolar in neighbouring Karnataka, were proceeding to the hill shrine located in Pathanamthitta district. A senior official said as many as 43 people, including 40 pilgrims, were in the vehicle when it overturned after the driver lost control of it. Over 13 people suffered injuries, he said. Four injured pilgrims were rushed to the government medical College here, he said, adding that four persons were taken to the general hospital and some other accident victims were admitted to a nearby private hospital, the official added.

Kerala moves SC against HC order increasing pilgrims to Sabarimala temple

It said that to control the Covid-19 pandemic during the Sabarimala temple festival season between December 20 and January 14 next year, the state had constituted the high-level committee

Pleas challenging CAA to be heard after Sabarimala reference case: SC

SC also said that pleas concerning Tripura, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, which is going ahead with the implementation of CAA without framing any rules, can be dealt with separately.

Will hear pleas on CAA after arguments in Sabarimala case are finished: SC

A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde said this after senior advocate Kapil Sibal sought urgent hearing of CAA matters and said that till date, the Centre has not filed a reply in the matter