The Kerala High Court has dismissed the anticipatory bail applications filed by S. Sreekumar, Security Officer of the Sabarimala Sannidhanam police outpost, and Jayasree, the then Secretary of the Travancore Devaswom Board, in the Sabarimala gold theft case involving missing gold from the copper-plated coverings of the Dwarapalaka idols.

In his application, Sreekumar revealed that the Devaswom had handed over 846 grams of gold for plating the idols and that he was responsible for verification before installation. He admitted that the work began prior to his posting but claimed that the two workers involved Nandakumar and Rejith had already confessed. The Crime Branch, however, reported that while these workers admitted replacing the gold plate with brass, the location of stolen gold, the method of removal, and the chain of responsibility were still unclear, requiring further probe. Investigators emphasised that Sreekumar’s role in supervision and verification warranted custodial interrogation.

Jayasree, as the then Secretary, was also responsible for overseeing the gold plating project. The prosecution stated that her involvement could not be ruled out until the circumstances surrounding the loss of gold were fully uncovered. Given the seriousness of the offence and the outstanding gaps in the investigation, the Court held that anticipatory bail could not be granted at this stage.

Dismissing both bail applications through a common order, the Court noted that a prima facie case exists and that a detailed investigation is essential to determine the extent of the conspiracy and recover the missing gold.