In a surprising development in the Sabarimala gold theft case, Tantri Kantarar Rajeevar has alleged that the Pinarayi Vijayan government orchestrated his arrest as an act of political retaliation. After spending 41 days in remand, the Kollam Vigilance Court granted him bail, marking a significant turn of events. The accusations made by the tantri in the court’s bail order have introduced a new political aspect to the high-profile case.
The tantri argued before the court that he was implicated in the case due to his firm opposition to the entry of women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala temple during the 2018 controversy. He maintained that the temple’s traditions should not be compromised during the women’s entry issue, which apparently displeased senior police officials at Sannidhanam and others. Additionally, he claimed that a false narrative was created to link him to the gold theft along with certain ruling party members.
Despite the allegations, the Vigilance Court found a lack of concrete evidence linking the tantri directly to the alleged theft. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) failed to establish a clear connection between him and the main accused, Unnikrishnan Potti. The court acknowledged that the tantri’s authority was confined to ritualistic matters and emphasized the absence of substantial proof at this stage to implicate him in the gold theft.
The court also supported the argument that the permission granted to remove the Dwarapalaka panels was solely for repair purposes. It noted the absence of evidence indicating that the tantri instructed the panels to be handed over to Potti. Furthermore, the vigilance reports from the Devaswom Board did not contain any negative findings against him. The bail order is considered a setback for the investigation team and a significant development in this politically sensitive case, which continues to provoke discussions across the state.
