Key accused in Sabarimala tantri case gets bail

Kochi, Aug 8: Key accused in the Sabarimala tantri Kandararu Mohanararu attack case, Sobha John, was today granted conditional bail by the Ernakulam chief judicial magistrate.

Ernakulam CJM P D Sharanghdharan however dismissed the bail pleas of the two other co-accused Anil Kumar and Vigil. They have been remanded in judicial custody till August 22.

The court granted bail to Sobha John considering the fact that she was a woman who was in custody from August three onwards and also on finding that her futher detention was not necessary.

The court has directed her to execute a bail bond of Rs 25,000 alongwith two solvent sureties for the same amount. She has also been directed to produce a solvency certificate of Rs 25,000 in respect of one of the sureties.

The magistrate also directed her not to leave the Ernakulam limits and surrender her passport before the court.

She has been told to report before the Circle Inspector, Vanitha (women's) police station, between 1000 and 1100 hrs. on every Saturday till further orders.

The police had opposed the bail pleas of all three accused.

Police also filed an additional report today stating that co-accused Anil Kumar and Vigil were involved in many other cases also.

Earlier in the morning, the police had produced all three accused before the court at the end of their four-day police remand.

The court had remanded them in judicial custody till August 22 and posted the bail hearing for the afternoon.

The police have registered the case against the accused under IPC sections 395 (robbery) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy).

The three were arrested on August two in connection with the July 23 attack on the Sabarimala tantri in Sobha's flat here.

Sobha John has been described by the police as a key link in an alleged sex racket in the city while Anil Kumar and Vigil were her accomplices.

Tantri Kandararu Mohanararu, one of the main priests at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, was sacked by the Travancore Devaswom Board on July 24 as reports of his alleged involvement in a sex racket surfaced.

UNI

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