Supreme Court Asks, ‘Is Anything Left in Sabarimala?’ While Hearing Gold Case
New Delhi: The Supreme Court once again expressed strong concern over the Sabarimala gold theft case, questioning the extent of alleged irregularities linked to the temple.
The observation came while the court was hearing the bail plea of Smart Creations CEO Pankaj Bhandari, who was arrested in connection with the case. The bench adjourned the hearing to March 9, despite the defence requesting an earlier consideration on Friday.
During the proceedings, Justice Satish Chandra Sharma asked Bhandari’s counsel whether “anything is left in Sabarimala,” remarking that the court was compelled to raise the question after hearing the case details. The Supreme Court had earlier made similar strong remarks while hearing the plea of another accused, former Devaswom Board member K.P. Sankaradas, when it observed, “Will you not even spare God?”
Bhandari’s lawyer argued that his client had no role in any theft and was engaged only for gold-plating work. The defence stated that there was no motive or circumstance linking him to the alleged crime. Bhandari also informed the court that he heads a reputed company that has undertaken gold-plating work for major national projects, including Mangalyaan and Chandrayaan.
The Supreme Court on Friday granted anticipatory bail to former Devaswom Secretary S. Jayasree in connection with the Sabarimala gold theft case, providing her protection from arrest while directing her to cooperate with the ongoing investigation. The court passed the order while hearing her plea in which she stated that she had no direct role in the alleged irregularities related to temple gold and had only performed administrative duties during her tenure. The case has attracted significant attention, with the apex court earlier making strong observations over the alleged misuse of gold linked to the Sabarimala temple.