Sabarimala gold theft case: Temple tantri claims political vendetta after bail

The chief priest of the Sabarimala Temple has alleged that his arrest in connection with a gold theft case was politically motivated, after a vigilance court in Kollam granted him bail following 41 days in custody.

Kantarar Rajeevar, the temple’s tantri, walked out of jail on Thursday after the court ruled that investigators had failed to establish a prima facie case directly linking him to the alleged theft.

In submissions before the court, Rajeevar accused the government led by Pinarayi Vijayan of orchestrating his arrest as an act of political revenge. He contended that he had been targeted for his stance during the 2018 controversy over the entry of women of menstruating age into Sabarimala.

At the height of that dispute, which followed a landmark Supreme Court verdict permitting women of all ages to enter the shrine, the tantri had maintained that established rituals and customs should not be disturbed. In his plea, he argued that this position had drawn the ire of senior police officials stationed at Sannidhanam and others in authority.

He further alleged that a narrative was constructed to implicate him in the gold theft case alongside certain ruling party figures.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the matter has accused several individuals, including the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potti. However, the court observed that investigators had not demonstrated a direct connection between the tantri and Potti.

The vigilance court accepted the defence argument that Rajeevar’s role at the temple was confined to ritualistic duties and that no material evidence had been produced at this stage to establish his involvement in the alleged theft.

It also noted that permission to remove the Dwarapalaka panels had been granted solely for repair purposes and that there was no proof the tantri had directed that the panels be handed over to Potti. Reports prepared by the Devaswom Board did not contain any adverse findings against him, the court said.

The bail order is widely viewed as a setback for the investigation team and has injected fresh political overtones into a case that continues to generate debate in Kerala.

With IANS inputs