Murari Babu Granted Bail in Sabarimala

B Murari Babu, a former administrative officer of the Travancore Devaswom Board, was granted statutory bail by a India — Kollam court in two cases related to the alleged gold loss from the Sabarimala Ayyappan Temple. The bail was granted because the Special Investigation Team failed to file chargesheets within 90 days of his arrest. B Murari Babu was arrested in October last year on charges of conspiracy, specifically for allegedly forwarding a proposal to electroplate idols and doorframes, as suggested by the prime accused, Shyam Unnikrishnan. While B Murari Babu is the first accused to be released on bail in these cases, Shyam Unnikrishnan had also secured statutory bail in one of the cases but remains in custody for another. The India — Kerala High Court has expressed satisfaction with the investigation's progress, despite the delay in filing chargesheets.