Thiruvananthapuram/Kannur, Feb 22 (PTI) The arrest of Sabarimala Tantri (chief priest) Kadararu Rajeevaru in the gold loss case continued to trigger a war of words in Kerala on Sunday with the opposition Congress alleging that the priest was “deliberately trapped” in the case, while the ruling CPI(M) saying he was among the “list of big thieves”.
The recent observation by the Kollam Vigilance Court that there was no iota of evidence against Rajeevaru in the case led to fresh political debate in the state, with opposition parties targeting the state government.
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged that the Sabarimala tantri (chief priest) was “deliberately trapped” in the gold loss case and suspected political intervention behind his arrest without any evidence.
Addressing a press conference here, he claimed that the Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the case, was controlled by the Chief Minister’s Office and Rajeevaru was arrested to prevent the investigation reaching some “big shots”.
Chennithala alleged that the SIT failed to comply with the directions issued by the Kerala High Court and did not conduct a proper probe into the alleged conspiracy behind the case.
Though the tantri is a person who is revered as the father of Lord Ayyappa, he was arrested and jailed for 41 days without any evidence, he said.
The Kollam Vigilance court, which had granted bail to the tantri, clearly stated that there was no iota of evidence against him. “So, we should assume that the Sabarimala tantri was deliberately trapped in the case. It is clear that there was a political intervention to arrest the tantri,” he alleged.
He further alleged that though there was clear evidence to arrest certain “big shots”, no action has been taken so far in this regard.
The tantri was arrested and jailed to divert the course of the investigation and to ensure that it does not reach Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan and former minister Kadakampally Surendran, he said.
He also accused former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president P S Prasanth of committing serious lapses in connection with the gold loss issue. But, he was questioned secretly and let go, he said.
The decision to sabotage the SIT probe was taken at a higher level after the ruling LDF had suffered a massive drubbing in the recent LSGD polls, he alleged.
People of the state would give a befitting reply to what he termed as political misuse of the case.
CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan rejected the Congress allegations and asserted that no one involved in the matter would be protected.
Speaking to reporters in Kannur, he said the SIT probe is yet to be completed and claimed that Congress leaders also have a role in the alleged gold theft.
He alleged that certain political parties were attempting to use the issue to target the CPI(M) and the state government, adding that “news becomes news only when it is against the CPI(M) and the government, but not when it is against the BJP or the Congress.” Responding to the allegations that the arrest of Rajeevaru was linked to his opposition to women’s entry at the hill shrine, Govindan said the tantri figures in the “list of big thieves” and asserted that no one involved in the matter would be protected.
The law would take its own course, he said, adding that not “a speck of gold” from Sabarimala should go missing.
The vigilance court in Kollam on Wednesday granted bail to Rajeevaru in the cases related to alleged misappropriation of gold from the Lord Ayyappa shrine.
Rajeevaru is the 16th accused in the case related to the loss of gold from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and 13th accused in the case pertaining to the loss of the precious metal from the door frames of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum). PTI LGK KH
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