THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Stirring up a hornets’ nest, tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru, who was granted bail on Wednesday in the Sabarimala gold theft case, has accused the state government of vendetta, alleging he was implicated for opposing its move to allow women of menstrual age into the hill shrine.
In his bail plea before the Kollam Vigilance Court, the tantri contended that the SIT arrested him for taking a “strong stand on preserving temple customs and rituals.” He claimed he resisted political interference and even warned he would refuse to perform rituals if any attempt was made to tamper with established customs and practices.
The petition alleged that at the instance of the CPM, a few senior police officers made attempts to facilitate entry of women into the temple. It claimed that his firm stand against it had led to “public attacks from influential figures of the ruling front.”
He further claimed that his opposition to opening the temple on all days ruffled many feathers, and that his implication in the gold heist was a retaliatory move aimed at tarnishing his reputation.
The petition also alleged that booking and arresting him was meant to build a narrative that even the highest priest was involved in the alleged illegal transactions.
The SIT, however, turned the tantri’s claim on its head, arguing that his assertion of supreme authority over the Sabarimala shrine underscored his responsibility — and his failure — to prevent the sacred artefacts from being handed over to the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potti.
Opposing the bail plea, the SIT told the court that the tantri was duty-bound to ensure that the deity’s valuable ornaments (thiruvabharanam) were not taken outside the temple premises.
It argued that he was responsible for preventing the illegal entrustment of the sacred artefacts with Potti and their unlawful transfer to Smart Creations in Chennai — a chain of events that allegedly led to the misappropriation of the gold.
‘Booked for strong stand on preserving customs’
In his bail petition submitted before the Kollam Vigilance Court, tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru contended that the SIT arrested him for taking a “strong stand on preserving temple customs and rituals.” The plea claimed that arresting him was meant to build a narrative that even the highest priest was involved in the alleged illegal transactions.