Kollam: In a significant legal development regarding the alleged misappropriation of gold from the sacred Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, the Kollam Vigilance Court has granted statutory bail to A Padmakumar, the former president of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) and ex-MLA.
The ruling, delivered on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, clears the final hurdle for the CPI(M) leader’s release from prison after months of judicial remand.
A critical failure in the investigation
The court’s decision hinged on a major procedural oversight by the Special Investigation Team (SIT). Under Indian law, an investigating agency must file a chargesheet within a mandated 90-day window for serious offenses. Because the SIT failed to submit its findings within this timeframe, Padmakumar’s legal team argued that their client was entitled to statutory bail.
This specific case involves the alleged theft of gold from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) sculptures at the hill shrine. Padmakumar had been in custody since his arrest on November 20.
Seven accused walk free
Padmakumar is not the only high-profile figure to benefit from the investigation’s delays. With this ruling, all seven primary accused in the gold scam have now secured their release. A “domino effect” of statutory bails occurred due to the missing chargesheet deadlines, affecting:
Unnikrishnan Potti (First Accused)
N Vasu (Former TDB President)
Murari Babu, D. Sudheesh Kumar, and S. Sreekumar (Former TDB officials)
Additionally, two other key figures, Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru and former Thiruvabharanam Commissioner K S Baiju, had previously been granted regular bail by the court.
Two cases, one outcome
This was the second major case against Padmakumar. He had already secured statutory bail last month in a related investigation involving the theft of gold from the temple’s kattilappali (sanctum sanctorum doorframe). With both judicial orders now in his favor, his release from prison was finalised on Wednesday.
Medical plea from “Smart Creations” owner
While the former TDB officials walk free, the court continues to deliberate on the fate of Pankaj Bhandari, owner of the Chennai-based firm Smart Creations. Currently in judicial remand, Bhandari has filed a petition seeking specialised treatment for a skin ailment at a private hospital in Chennai.
The prosecution has requested more time to submit medical reports from the Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital. Bhandari’s lawyers are pushing for access to private healthcare within Kerala as an alternative if his request to travel to Chennai is denied.