Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan launched a stinging attack on the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Saturday, accusing it of intentionally clearing the way for suspects in the Sabarimala gold scandal to walk free. His remarks come just a day after former TDB official Murari Babu was granted statutory bail because the police failed to file a chargesheet within the mandatory 90-day window.
Satheesan warned that this legal "lapse" is creating a dangerous situation where the accused can now go out and tamper with evidence. He pointed out the irony of the situation: the stolen gold hasn't even been recovered yet, and now the primary suspects are heading home. The Congress leader didn't mince words, alleging that the delay in filing the chargesheet wasn't an accident but a result of direct pressure from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).
While prime accused Unnikrishnan Potty remains behind bars for now, Satheesan predicted he would soon be out on similar grounds as his 90-day deadline approaches. "By failing to file even an interim chargesheet, the SIT is effectively handing out get-out-of-jail-free cards," Satheesan told reporters, noting that even those yet to be arrested will now know they can get bail simply by waiting out the clock.
The political spat also took a personal turn regarding photos of Potty that have surfaced with various leaders. Satheesan dismissed recent jabs from LDF ministers about Potty being photographed with Sonia Gandhi, calling their comments "nonsense." He pointed out that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan himself has been photographed with Potty.
"If the CM, with the entire state intelligence and Special Branch at his disposal, didn't realise Potty was a 'shady character,' how on earth was Sonia Gandhi supposed to know?" Satheesan asked. He maintained that the focus should be on the missing temple gold — linked to the Dwarapalaka idols and the sanctum sanctorum doorframes — rather than political photo-ops.
Also read: Ex-TDB officer gets statutory bail in Sabarimala gold scam case
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