The Kollam Vigilance Court on Friday granted bail to Murari Babu, former administrative officer of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), in both cases registered in connection with the Sabarimala gold theft. The court awarded statutory bail in the cases involving the theft of gold from the Dwarapalaka idols and the sanctum sanctorum door frame after considering the defence’s plea that the accused was entitled to bail as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) had failed to file a chargesheet even 92 days after his arrest. With this ruling, Mr. Babu becomes the first accused in the high-profile gold theft case to be released from jail.
While Mr. Babu was released, prime accused Unnikrishnan Potti remains in custody despite being granted statutory bail in the Dwarapalaka case. Mr. Potti’s release was blocked because the 90-day period for filing the chargesheet in the door frame gold theft has not yet elapsed. That deadline is in three weeks and if the investigation team fails to submit the chargesheet within the time frame, Mr. Potti is also expected to be released.
Conditions for bail
The court granted bail to Mr. Babu under stringent conditions following strong arguments from the prosecution. He is required to execute a bond with two solvent sureties for a sum of ₹2 lakh each. The bail conditions strictly prohibit him from entering Pathanamthitta district without the court’s permission and from leaving the State. Furthermore, he must appear before investigating officers whenever summoned, refrain from influencing witnesses or destroying evidence, and is explicitly barred from interacting with the media.
In the first case pertaining to the theft of gold from the Dwarapalaka sculptures, Mr. Babu is the second accused. He was arrested on October 23 from his residence in Perunna after the SIT discovered that he had falsely recorded the gold plates on the idol as copper plates. The investigation further revealed that the gold plates were handed over to Mr. Potti under the guise of renovation because of Mr. Babu’s intervention. His role in the door frame case was also established during the probe, leading to further legal proceedings.
Meanwhile, the remand period for senior Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru has been extended for another 14 days following the expiry of his remand period. The court is scheduled to consider his bail application on January 28.
Published – January 23, 2026 08:47 pm IST
