KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday asserted that none of the culprits in the Sabarimala gold theft case would be allowed to go scot-free, and said the probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) was credible and on the right track.
The HC was considering a batch of petitions, including one filed by BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, seeking a CBI probe into the alleged theft of gold.
The petitioners said the accused were securing statutory bail and being released, which would undermine the SIT’s credibility. Rajeev said the stolen gold was reportedly distributed across different states and that individuals and establishments outside Kerala were involved. Hence, entrusting the investigation to a central agency like the CBI was necessary to unearth the truth, he said.
However, the court said there was no need for concern over the accused securing statutory bail, noting that the investigation was being carried out under its supervision. It also asked the petitioners to be patient and give the SIT more time.
The court underlined that the SIT probe was the most reliable at this stage and said officers on deputation from the CBI were part of the team. It cautioned that rushing to file the chargesheet merely to prevent the accused from securing statutory bail could adversely affect the case and may even help them escape punishment.
Meanwhile, the state government submitted that it was not receiving sufficient information from the SIT on the probe’s progress, and that every aspect of the investigation was being monitored by the HC.