Special prosecutor appointed in Sabarimala cases
The Kerala Government has appointed NK Unnikrishnan as Special Public Prosecutor to lead the prosecution in the Sabarimala gold theft cases, an official said on Thursday. The appointment was made through a Government order issued on Wednesday. Unnikrishnan will lead the prosecution for the Special Investigation Team in two cases related to the loss of gold from the Dwarapalaka idols and the doorframes of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum).
He will also provide legal advice during the investigation and scrutinise the charge sheets before they are filed in court. Unnikrishnan, who is from Thrissur, had earlier served as Special Public Prosecutor in the rape and murder case of law student Jisha at her residence in Kuruppampady in April 2016. The prosecution led by him secured the conviction and death penalty for the sole accused, Ameerul Islam.
He is also serving as Special Public Prosecutor in the serial killing cases against Jolly of Koodathai in Kozhikode. Meanwhile, the Kollam Vigilance Court on Thursday granted bail to Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) former administrative officer S Sreekumar in the case related to gold lost from Dwarapalaka idol plates. Sreekumar is the sixth accused in the case.
He was not arraigned as an accused in the second case involving the loss of gold from the doorframes of Sreekovil. Sreekumar is the second accused to be released from jail in the case. The bail plea was heard by Kollam Vigilance Court Judge CS Mohit, who considered arguments from both the prosecution and the defence before granting bail.
The defence counsel argued that the allegation against Sreekumar was limited to signing documents related to the shifting of gold-clad plates of the Dwarapalakas in 2019 and was not part of the conspiracy. His counsel submitted that Sreekumar had been in judicial custody for over 40 days. The prosecution opposed the bail plea, contending that the investigation was at a crucial stage.
The court, in its order, found that the prosecution failed to substantiate Sreekumar’s role in the conspiracy behind the removal of Dwarapalaka plates in 2019. Apart from SIT, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has started a money laundering probe into the Sabarimala gold loss incident.
