In a U-turn following mounting criticism, Advocate K.B. Pradeep on Saturday resigned as Special Pleader for the Devaswom Department in the Kerala High Court, days after the V.D. Satheesan-led UDF government appointed him to the post despite his association with Smart Creations, a firm linked to the Sabarimala gold theft case.

The resignation came after Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan reportedly asked Pradeep to step down amid a growing political storm over the appointment, which had drawn sharp attacks from the opposition and triggered discomfort within sections of the Congress.

Pradeep had represented Smart Creations, the Chennai-based company that figures in the investigation into the alleged theft and diversion of gold from the Sabarimala temple. His appointment by the government had immediately raised questions over a possible conflict of interest and the message it sent in a case involving one of Kerala's most revered shrines.

The controversy deepened after it emerged that the government had created the post of Special Pleader for the Devaswom Department, which had previously functioned with only a Senior Government Pleader. Opposition parties alleged that the new position had been carved out specifically to accommodate Pradeep.

Former ministers V.N. Vasavan, P. Rajeeve and K.N. Balagopal accused the government of compromising the credibility of the investigation, arguing that the appointment indicated a lack of seriousness in pursuing the truth behind the alleged scam.

Devaswom Minister's defence backfires

The row escalated further after Devaswom Minister K. Muraleedharan defended the appointment, saying that "someone who knows the weaknesses of the accused can be useful".

The remark invited widespread criticism, with opposition leaders contending that it effectively justified appointing a lawyer associated with a company under investigation to represent the government's interests. 

Spotlight returns to Sabarimala probe

Smart Creations has been under the scanner in connection with the Sabarimala gold theft case, in which investigators suspect that gold-plated panels removed from the temple were taken to the company's facility and processed, with the extracted gold allegedly diverted for use elsewhere.

The firm has been linked by investigators to Unnikrishnan Potti, identified as the prime accused in the case. Meanwhile, a probe into the alleged theft of gold worth crores of rupees is continuing.