Vasu granted bail in Sabarimala gold theft case

Third accused in the Sabarimala gold theft case N. Vasu was granted statutory bail on Wednesday.

He was released from jail on Wednesday evening after the Kollam Vigilance Court approved his bail plea. The court cited the Special Investigation Team’s (SIT) failure to file a chargesheet within the stipulated timeframe as the primary reason for granting the bail.

The bail was granted under several strict conditions after Mr. Vasu completed 90 days in judicial custody. His legal team argued that since the investigation agency had not yet submitted the final report, statutory bail had become a legal right for the accused. While the prosecution did not legally oppose the bail due to the expiration of the time limit, they strongly requested the court to impose stringent conditions.

Under the terms of his release, Mr. Vasu is prohibited from entering Pathanamthitta district or leaving the State. He must appear before the investigating officer whenever summoned and should surrender his passport to the court. Additionally, the court strictly warned him against influencing witnesses, destroying evidence, or interacting with the media regarding the case.

Mr. Vasu, former president and commissioner of the Travancore Devaswom Board, is the fifth person to be released among the 12 accused arrested so far in connection with the gold theft.

Previously, prime accused Unnikrishnan Potti, former TDB administrative officer Murari Babu, and former TDB executive officer Sudheesh Kumar were granted statutory bail, while former administrative officer S. Sreekumar secured bail due to lack of sufficient evidence.

Meanwhile, former TDB president A. Padmakumar is set to complete 90 days in custody on February 20. If the SIT fails to submit a chargesheet by then, Mr. Padmakumar too can apply for statutory bail.

In related proceedings, the court extended the remand of accused Pankaj Bhandari, Govardhan, and K.S. Baiju for another 14 days, while the verdict on the bail plea of senior Tantri Kandararu Rajeevararu is scheduled for February 18.