Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 13 (PTI) Devaswom advocate K B Pradeep resigned on Saturday after Chief Minister V D Satheesan sought his resignation amid a controversy over his appointment, official sources said.
The resignation came amid mounting criticism from the opposition CPI(M) over the Congress-led UDF government’s decision to appoint Pradeep as a lawyer for the Devaswom Department.
“The Chief Minister had sought his resignation as Devaswom advocate, and he has now stepped down,” an official source told PTI.
Pradeep’s appointment had triggered a political controversy after CPI(M) leaders alleged that he had appeared for some of the accused in cases related to the alleged misappropriation of gold used in works at the Sabarimala temple.
Senior CPI(M) leaders and former ministers K N Balagopal, P Rajeeve and V N Vasavan had on Friday alleged that the appointment was aimed at “sabotaging” the ongoing probe into the alleged gold loss cases.
Former Devaswom Minister Vasavan termed the appointment “mysterious” and alleged that Pradeep had appeared for accused Govardhan and Pankaj Bhandari in the gold loss cases.
He also claimed that the lawyer had represented Chennai-based Smart Creations, the firm entrusted with the gold-plating work, before the Kerala High Court.
The allegations pertain to cases concerning the alleged misappropriation of gold from the copper plates of the Dwarapalaka idols and the doors of the Sreekovil of the Lord Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala.
Rajeeve had said the appointment of a defence counsel in the gold loss cases as the Devaswom’s lawyer was a serious issue warranting detailed scrutiny.
The Special Investigation Team probing the cases is yet to file its chargesheet.
Current Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan, however, had maintained that Pradeep’s appointment was made in accordance with a Cabinet decision and that he had left the matter entirely to the Chief Minister’s discretion. PTI LGK ROH
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