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What happened
The Kollam Vigilance Court denied bail to Unnikrishnan Potti, the prime accused in two cases connected to Sabarimala gold theft. Unnikrishnan Potti sought bail on the ground that he had been in custody for over 90 days. The prosecution opposed bail, citing a critical stage of investigation and possible need for further custodial interrogation, and Vigilance Court Judge C.S. Mohith rejected the bail application in both the Kattilapadi and Dwarapalaka cases. The court extended the remand of K.S. Baiju, S. Sreekumar, Pankaj Bhandari, and Govardhan until January 28, and all four were produced in person.
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Key insights
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1
Investigation stage cited in bail opposition: The prosecution argued that the investigation was at a critical stage and that releasing the prime accused was not appropriate at that time.
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Potential further custodial interrogation: The Special Investigation Team’s position included a stated potential need for further custodial interrogation, which the court considered in rejecting bail.
Takeaways
Unnikrishnan Potti remains in custody without bail in both Sabarimala gold theft cases, and four other accused remain on remand until January 28.