Kollam (Kerala) [India], February 18 (ANI): The Kollam Vigilance Court on Wednesday issued an order granting bail to Thantri Kanthar Rajeevar in the Sabarimala gold heist case. The bail covers applications related to the Kattilappalli and Dwarapalaka idol cases.

With this, Rajeevar becomes the sixth accused in the case to secure bail, following Unnikrishnan Potty, Vasu, and Murari Babu. He was arrested on January 9 and is the second accused to be granted bail before the completion of 90 days. Earlier, former Administrative Officer S Sreekumar had also secured bail.

The detailed bail order will be released soon.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of India is set to commence hearings in the long-pending Sabarimala temple entry matter and related cases on April 7, before a nine-judge Constitution Bench. The proceedings will revisit key issues on religious practices, equality, and constitutional morality.

Hearings for reviews of petitioners and supporting parties are scheduled from April 7 to 9, while original writ petitioners will be heard from April 14 to 16. Rejoinders, if any, are slated for April 22. The Court directed that oral submissions from both sides be completed within the stipulated timeline.

The Union of India supports the review petitions challenging the 2018 ruling, while original writ petitioners seek to uphold it. The case traces back to 2018, when a Constitution Bench allowed women of all ages to enter the Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple, striking down the traditional restriction on women aged 10-50. In February 2020, a nine-judge Bench referred broader constitutional questions to a larger forum.

The Sabarimala gold theft case concerns allegations of the misappropriation of approximately 4.54 kilograms of gold from sacred temple artefacts, including the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) door frames and Dwarapalaka idols.

The theft allegedly occurred in 2019 under the pretext of refinishing and re-gold-plating temple structures.

The controversy traces its origins to a 1998 donation by industrialist Vijay Mallya, who donated 30.3 kilograms of gold and 1,900 kilograms of copper for gold plating and cladding at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple.

Subsequent inspections and court-monitored inquiries revealed discrepancies between the donated gold and the quantity allegedly used. (ANI)