Sabarimala Gold Theft: Kerala High Court Reserves Verdict In Bail Plea Of Former Devaswom Board Official N Vasu

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday (December 16) reserved its verdict in the regular bail application of 75-year-old former Travancore Devaswom Board official N. Vasu, who is arrayed as the third accused in the crime relating to the misappropriation of gold from the door frames of Sabarimala temple.

The case was heard in detail today and yesterday by Justice A. Badharudeen.

Vasu has taken an argument that the doorframes of the temple are not gold plated since there was no documentary proof evidencing the same. Vasu is accused of initiating the gold theft by giving a recommendation for gold-plating of the door frames, which he had described as copper plates while knowing the same to be gold.

"So according to you, at the time when the doorframe was given, it is not gold-cladded, it is originally copper-plated. That is your case," the Court orally remarked.

Turning to the prosecution, the Court orally asked:

"Which is the document available in the Board or the Sannidhanam to show that these doorframes originally were gold? All items including a simple pin should have a register showing its stock and its accountability...Contention of the counsel for the accused is that no register, no documents to show that the doorframes also were originally gold-plated and the same has been suppressed. His argument is that if originally these doorframes was in copper, what he [Vasu] wrote is correct. If so, no culpability to be alleged against him. That's the contention."

The prosecution replied that the gold theft initiated with Vasu and subsequent statements taken during investigation showed that it had gold and not merely copper.

After hearing both sides, the Court reserved its verdict.

Background

Vasu had served in the TDB for two terms as Devaswom Commissioner and more recently, as President during 2019-2021. He had also formerly served as the Vigilance Tribunal Judge from 1991 to 2006.

He is accused of the offences punishable under Sections 403, 406, 409, 466, 467, 120B r/w 34 of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

The prosecution allegation is that Vasu, while acting as Devaswom Commissioner, conspired together with the other accused and facilitated pilferage of gold in the door frames of the temple. The specific allegation against him was that he initiated the pilferage by his recommendation wherein he described the door frames as “copper plates” alone while fully knowing that these were gold-cladded.

According to the prosecution, the accused persons entrusted the gold-cladded copper doorframes to the prime accused Unnikrishnan Potty purportedly to conduct gold plating on the same as if these were merely copper plates. It is further alleged that Potty had sent an email to Vasu seeking permission to use the balance gold after plating for the marriage of a girl and that Vasu did not conduct any inquiry into how this balance gold in the hands of Potty, a private party, was handled.

After his arrest on November 11, he had approached the Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge seeking bail but his plea was dismissed. Thereafter, he has come before the High Court seeking bail.

Last week, the same bench had heard the two bail pleas of another accused in the case, Murari Babu and had reserved its verdict.

It had also dismissed the anticipatory bail pleas of the 4th and 6th accused, two former TDB officials, arraigned in the crime involving misappropriation of gold from the dwarapalaka idols.

The bail pleas are moved by Advocates S. Rajeev, V. Vinay, M.S. Aneer, Sarath K.P., Anilkumar C.R., K.S. Kiran Krishnan, Dipa V., Akash Cherian Thomas, Azad Sunil, Maheswar P., T.P. Aravind, and Akshara S.

Case No: Bail Appl. 14430/ 2025

Case Title: N. Vasu v. State of Kerala

Click to Read/Download Order Of Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge