Thiruvananthapuram: The arrest of Sabarimala Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru in the Sabarimala gold theft case triggered a sharp political confrontation in Kerala on Sunday, with the Opposition Congress alleging that the chief priest was “deliberately trapped”, while the ruling CPM claimed he figures in a “list of big thieves”.

The controversy intensified after the Kollam Vigilance Court granted bail to Kandararu Rajeevaru and observed that there was no “iota of evidence” against him in the alleged gold misappropriation case linked to the Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa Temple.

Congress alleges political intervention in SIT probe

Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Sabarimala gold theft case was functioning under the control of the Chief Minister’s Office.

Addressing a press conference, Chennithala claimed the tantri was arrested to prevent the investigation from reaching “big shots”.

“The Vigilance Court clearly stated there was no iota of evidence against him. It is evident that the Sabarimala tantri was deliberately trapped. There was political intervention behind the arrest,” he alleged.

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Chennithala further claimed that individuals with “clear evidence” against them had not been arrested, and alleged that the action was meant to shield the present Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan and former minister Kadakampally Surendran.

He also accused former Travancore Devaswom Board president P S Prasanth of serious lapses in connection with the Sabarimala gold loss case, alleging that he was questioned “secretly” and let off.

AICC general secretary K C Venugopal questioned the credibility of the SIT, asking whether Rajeevaru’s arrest was linked to his earlier opposition to the Left government’s stance on women’s entry to Sabarimala.

BJP targets LDF government

Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar also accused the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government of attempting to divert attention from the alleged involvement of key political figures in the Sabarimala gold misappropriation case.

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The BJP maintained that the arrest of the Sabarimala chief priest was politically motivated.

CPM rejects charges, says law will take its course

CPM state secretary M V Govindan dismissed the allegations, asserting that the SIT investigation was ongoing and that no one involved in the gold theft case would be protected.

Responding to claims that the arrest was linked to the Sabarimala women’s entry issue, Govindan said the tantri figures in a “list of big thieves”.

“The law would take its own course, he said, adding that not "a speck of gold from Sabarimala should go missing,” he said.

Law Minister flags ‘unusual’ bail order

Kerala Law Minister P Rajeev said there were “unusual aspects” in the Vigilance Court’s bail order.

“If a High Court division bench has observed that the investigation is proceeding in the right direction, it is not usual for a lower court, while considering a bail plea, to make observations that appear like a final verdict in the case,” he told reporters in Kochi.

He added that such sweeping observations are typically within the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.

Rajeev clarified that the state government was not exercising supervisory control over the SIT probe and that decisions such as filing an appeal against the bail order did not come before the government. He noted that the High Court division bench was monitoring all aspects of the Sabarimala gold loss investigation.

Background of the case

The Kollam Vigilance Court granted bail to Rajeevaru on Wednesday in cases related to the alleged misappropriation of gold from the Lord Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala.

Also Read| Sabarimala gold case: Kandararu Rajeevaru gets bail from Vigilance court

The Sabarimala gold theft case has emerged as a major political flashpoint in Kerala, with the Congress, BJP and CPM trading allegations ahead of a sensitive electoral season in the state.

PTI