Sabarimala Gold Case: SIT Questions Jayaram In 2019 Theft At Temple

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged Sabarimala gold theft case has recorded a formal statement from 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 Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and the doorframes of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) at the temple.

The actor was questioned after videos surfaced showing him participating in a puja organized in Chennai in 2019 by Potti. 

Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court has expressed strong displeasure with the SIT for delaying the investigation. Because the police failed to file the charge sheet within 90 days, some of the main accused have been released on "default bail." As per the law, if a charge sheet is not filed within this time, the accused are entitled to bail. This is exactly what happened with the main suspect, Unnikrishnan Potty, and another man named Murari Babu.

Earlier on January 23, Kollam Vigilance Court granted statutory bail to former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) administrative officer Murari Babu in two cases related to the alleged gold loss at the Sabarimala temple. The court granted bail after 90 days had elapsed since his arrest, and the Special Investigation Team (SIT) failed to file charge sheets within the stipulated period.

Murari Babu is the second accused in the case concerning the alleged loss of gold from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idol plates, and the sixth accused in the case related to the alleged loss of gold from the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) doorframes. He is currently lodged at 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 loss cases to be released from jail. Murari Babu was arrested in October last year on charges of conspiracy, after allegedly forwarding a proposal to electroplate the Dwarapalaka idols and Sreekovil doorframes to the TDB, as suggested by the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potti. At the time of 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 idol case, though he remains in custody in connection with the Sreekovil doorframe case. The SIT has so far arraigned 16 accused in the Dwarapalaka idol case and 13 in the Sreekovil doorframe case. Meanwhile, the court extended the remand of another accused, Thantri Kandararu Rajeevaru, by 14 days, with his bail plea scheduled for January 28.