KOLLAM: Unnikrishnan Potty, the prime accused in the Sabarimala gold loss case, has filed a petition before a court here seeking statutory bail in the second case registered against him.
Potty, who was earlier granted statutory bail in the case related to the loss of gold from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idol plates, has now approached the Kollam Vigilance Court seeking similar relief in the second case concerning the loss of gold from the door frames of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum).
He moved the petition on Saturday, as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has yet to file a charge sheet even after 90 days since his arrest.
The court has listed the petition to be considered on Monday.
If bail is granted, Unnikrishnan alias Potty will be released from jail, police sources said.
According to SIT officials, it was Potty who had taken the initiative to electroplate the gold-clad Dwarapalaka idols and the door frames of the Sreekovil in 2019.
The electroplating was carried out at a firm in Chennai, and the SIT suspects that the loss of gold occurred during this process.
Earlier, two administrative officers of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) were released from jail after the court granted bail.
Apart from Potty, the court will also consider the bail petitions filed by former TDB Executive Officer D Sudheesh Kumar, who has also completed 90 days of judicial custody in both cases.
Kumar is the third accused in the Dwarapalaka gold loss case and the fifth accused in the Sreekovil door frame case.
There are 16 accused in the case related to the Dwarapalaka gold loss and 13 accused in the Sreekovil door frame case.
SIT officials said a detailed probe has been conducted, but the delay in filing the charge sheets in both cases was due to pending scientific test results.
However, the SIT is aiming to file the charge sheets within this month, sources said.
Last week, a single judge of the Kerala High Court, while considering a bail petition filed by an accused in the case, criticised the SIT for the delay in filing the charge sheet, which had resulted in statutory bail being granted to the accused persons.