KOLLAM: The Kollam Vigilance Court has granted bail to thantri Kandararu Rajeevaru in the Sabarimala gold theft cases. The bail was granted to cases registered for theft of gold from the door frames as well as dwarapalaka idols.
The bail was granted 41 days after the thantri was arrested by the SIT. Several accused, including main culprit Unnikrishnan Potti, were released on bail earlier. All of them were granted statutory bail after the SIT failed to file chargesheets against them within 90 days of their arrests. However, in thantri’s case, bail was granted much earlier after the court overruled the prosecution’s objection.
The SIT had informed the court that the thanthri was instrumental in convincing the Travancore Devaswom Board to move the artefacts out of the temple for repair works in Chennai.
The cops also had argued that the thantri played a direct role in the gold heist and had amassed wealth that was deposited in private financial institutions.
However, the thantri’s response was that he was involved in spiritual aspects of the temple only and did not have any role in administrative affairs of the shrine. Rajeevaru is the sixth person to have obtained bail in the Sabarimala gold heist cases.
The court, meanwhile, has set a slew of bail conditions for the thantri. He has been directed to appear before the investigating officers every Tuesday and Saturday, surrender his passport and not to enter Pathanamthitta district.