A court here on Monday granted statutory bail to former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) executive officer D. Sudheesh Kumar in two cases related to the loss of gold from the Sabarimala temple.
Kollam Vigilance Court Judge Mohit C.S. granted bail to Mr. Kumar after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the cases failed to file chargesheets within 90 days of his arrest.
The cases relate to the alleged loss of gold from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idol plates and from the gold cladding on the door frames of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum).
Mr. Kumar is the third accused in the Dwarapalaka gold loss case and the fifth accused in the Sreekovil door frame case. The court imposed conditions, including execution of a bond with two solvent sureties for ₹2 lakh each, refraining from influencing witnesses or tampering with evidence, and appearing before the investigating officer whenever summoned.
Mr. Kumar was arrested for his alleged role in a conspiracy involving the removal and tampering of gold.
The court also considered a bail petition filed by prime accused Unnikrishnan Potti and decided to hear it on Wednesday. Mr. Potti, who was earlier granted statutory bail in the case related to the loss of gold from the Dwarapalaka idol plates, has now approached the Kollam Vigilance court seeking similar relief in the second case concerning the loss of gold from the Sreekovil door frames.
Meanwhile, Sabarimala tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru underwent an angiogram test at the Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital on Monday. Mr. Rajeevaru, who is lodged at the Thiruvananthapuram Special Sub Jail, was shifted to the hospital after he developed chest discomfort on Sunday. The SIT said it is awaiting the hospital’s report on the health condition of the tantri.
Mr. Rajeevaru is the 16th accused in the case related to the loss of gold from the Dwarapalaka idol plates and the 13th accused in the case pertaining to the loss of gold from the Sreekovil door frames.
Published – February 02, 2026 09:11 pm IST
