The Kollam Vigilance court is scheduled to deliver its verdict on the bail application submitted by Unnikrishnan Potti, the primary accused in the Sabarimala theft case, on Thursday.
The petitioner had sought statutory bail in the case involving the misappropriation of gold from the doorframe of the Sabarimala temple’s sanctum sanctorum on the grounds that the special investigation team (SIT) could not file a formal chargesheet despite his being in custody for over 90 days. This follows a previous development on January 21, where Potti was granted natural bail in a related case concerning the theft of gold from the temple’s dwarapalaka sculptures.
Despite getting bail in the case, he remained in jail because of the second pending case. While the defence argued for the petitioner’s mandatory release following the expiry of the filing deadline, the prosecution contended that if bail is granted, it should be accompanied by strict conditions. The accused was produced in court on Wednesday following the completion of his judicial remand.
Baiju moves bail plea
In a parallel development, the court has scheduled the hearing in the statutory bail application of K.S. Baiju, former Thiruvabharanam Commissioner, for February 11. Baiju was arrested on November 6 and has now completed 90 days in judicial custody, prompting his legal team to move for bail on Wednesday. He stands accused in both the gold theft cases, with the SIT alleging significant lapses in his duty as the official custodian of the temple’s gold. The SIT specifically points to a controversial order he signed in 2019 regarding the dispatch of the dwarapalaka sculptures as a key piece of evidence regarding his involvement and lack of required vigilance.
Published – February 04, 2026 08:03 pm IST
