Court grants statutory bail to two more accused in Sabarimala gold loss cases
Kollam (Kerala) (PTI): A court here on Thursday granted statutory bail to more accused in two cases related to the alleged gold loss from the Sabarimala temple.
The Kollam Vigilance Court Judge Mohit CS granted bail to Chennai-based Smart Creations CEO Pankaj Bhandari and Ballari-based jeweller Govardhan Roddam in connection with cases involving gold loss from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) gold plates and the door frames of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) at the temple.
The duo was granted bail in both cases after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) failed to file charge sheets within 90 days of their arrest.
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Pankaj Bhandari is the 12th accused in the Dwarapalaka case and the ninth accused in the Sreekovil door frame case, while Govardhan Roddam is the 13th accused in the Dwarapalaka case and the 10th accused in the Sreekovil door frame case.
With the latest development, as many as 10 accused have now been released from jail after securing bail in the Sabarimala cases.
According to the investigation, the artefacts from Sabarimala were taken to Smart Creations in 2019 for replating, after which the SIT alleged that gold was lost.
Govardhan is also said to be a close associate of the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potty.
The SIT, following searches at the residences and offices of the accused, had recovered gold allegedly equivalent to the reported losses from Sabarimala.
The SIT has informed the Kerala High Court that charge sheets in the cases will be filed before the end of March.
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Canada court sentences killer of Ghaziabad student Kartik Vasudev to life imprisonment
Toronto/Ghaziabad (PTI): A court in Toronto has sentenced a man to life imprisonment after rejecting his plea of not being criminally responsible due to a mental disorder in the killing of Indian student Kartik Vasudev, his family said on Tuesday.
The Superior Court of Toronto, presided over by Justice Jane Kelly, on Monday found Richard Edwin guilty on two counts of first-degree murder for the killings of two strangers on April 7 and April 9, 2022, according to the Global News Toronto.
While Edwin admitted to shooting the 21-year-old Vasudev, a resident of Ghaziabad and a student of Seneca College, his defence argued that he should be declared not criminally responsible (NCR) as he was suffering from a mental disorder and could not distinguish right from wrong.
The court acknowledged that Edwin was suffering from schizophrenia at the time of the incident but rejected the NCR plea and awarded him life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
The judgment, published in the Global News Toronto and shared with PTI by the victim's father, detailed the sequence of events leading to the killing. It stated that Vasudev was walking past Sherbourne station towards the Bloor Street East staircase when Edwin rushed past him, turned back and fired multiple shots at his back.
Speaking to PTI from Toronto, the victim's father Jitesh Vasudev said he and his wife had remained in Canada to attend the final hearing.
"After a legal battle of four years, we have finally received justice," he said.
Vasudev had moved to Toronto in January 2022 to pursue management studies but was killed within months. His body was later repatriated to Ghaziabad and cremated on the banks of the Hindan river, where his younger brother performed the last rites.
Earlier, speaking to PTI, Jitesh Vasudev had expressed concern over the lack of official assistance during the transportation of the body from the Indira Gandhi International Airport and the absence of district officials at the time of cremation.
The family resides in Rajendra Nagar in the Trans-Hindan area, and Vasudev was an alumnus of DAV School in the locality.
