The Kerala government has appointed senior advocate NK Unnikrishnan as the Special Public Prosecutor to head the prosecution in the high-profile Sabarimala gold loss cases, an official said on Thursday.
The appointment was made through a government order issued on Wednesday. Unnikrishnan will lead the prosecution on behalf of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in two cases linked to the alleged loss of gold from the Dwarapalaka idols and the doorframes of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) at Sabarimala.
In addition to conducting the prosecution, Unnikrishnan will provide legal guidance during the investigation and scrutinise charge sheets before they are filed in court. A native of Thrissur, he is known for handling several sensitive cases in the state. He earlier served as Special Public Prosecutor in the 2016 rape and murder case of law student Jisha at Kuruppampady, where the prosecution secured the conviction and death penalty for the sole accused, Ameerul Islam. He is also currently the Special Public Prosecutor in the Koodathai serial killing cases against Jolly in Kozhikode.
The appointment comes at a time when the prosecution in the Sabarimala gold loss probe is under scrutiny, following the release of one of the accused on statutory bail due to delays in filing charge sheets in the two cases.
Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate has also initiated a money laundering investigation into the Sabarimala gold loss incident, adding another layer to the ongoing legal proceedings.
