Kerala High Court Pushes For Fast Prosecution Sanction In Sabarimala Gold Theft Case

The Kerala High Court has directed authorities to expedite prosecution sanction in the Sabarimala gold theft case, clearing the way for the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to file its chargesheet and ensure that the trial begins without further delay.The case concerns the alleged theft of gold from the doorframe panels of the sanctum sanctorum at Sabarimala Temple.A Division Bench comprising Justices V Raja Vijayaraghavan and KV Jayakumar, which is monitoring the investigation, stressed that the prosecution sanction process must be completed expeditiously to prevent delays in the commencement of the trial.The case has 13 accused, including former Travancore Devaswom Board governing body members, officials and Unnikrishnan Potty, a key accused in the gold theft investigation.Of the 13 accused, prosecution sanction is required in the case of 10.The Revenue and Devaswom Secretary must grant sanction in respect of four accused, while the Travancore Devaswom Board is the competent authority to approve prosecution of the remaining six.Investigating officer S.