Court defers Tantri’s bail plea to Jan 19, allows SIT to arraign him in Sabarimala Dwarapalaka case

Kollam: The Kollam Vigilance Court on Tuesday rescheduled the hearing on the bail plea of Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru to January 19 and extended the judicial custody of the Sabarimala chief priest, who was arrested in connection with the alleged gold-plating irregularities at the sanctum door frame.

The court also granted permission to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to arraign Rajeevaru as an accused in a related case involving the alleged theft of gold plating from the Dwarapalaka idols and to arrest him in connection with this case. A separate bail plea is expected to be filed in this matter.

The SIT has concluded that the Tantri had a direct role in the conspiracy linked to the handing over of gold plates. Investigators said he had introduced Unnikrishnan Potty to other accused in the case and that his long-standing association with Potty was corroborated by call data records.

The defence, however, argued that Rajeevaru has been falsely implicated and had no role in the alleged gold robbery. The bail plea contends that the Tantri’s authority is confined to ritual and religious matters, while administrative responsibilities, including upkeep, maintenance, and transport of temple assets, rest solely with the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB).

It further argues that the Tantri’s opinion was neither sought nor was any Anunja performed in connection with the gold-plating work on the sanctum door frame. On this basis, the plea claims that even the SIT did not accept the contention of the Tantri’s involvement while opposing the bail plea of former TDB president A Padmakumar.

Rajeevaru, the 13th accused in the case, was arrested following the constitution of an SIT by the Kerala High Court to probe cases related to the alleged loss of gold from the gold-clad copper plates of the Dwarapalaka idols and the door frames of the Sreekovil at Sabarimala. Other accused include Unnikrishnan Potty, jeweller Roddam Pandurangaiah Naga Govardhan of Ballari in Karnataka, and former TDB presidents A Padmakumar and N Vasu.

According to the remand report filed by the High Court-appointed SIT, Rajeevaru, the Tantri of the Sabarimala sanctum sanctorum, knowingly permitted the unauthorised removal of temple valuables, violated ritual practices, and gave criminal tacit consent as part of a larger conspiracy.

The report states that the gold-plated copper plates fixed on the sanctum doorway and the prabhamandalam were removed on May 18, 2019, and handed over to Unnikrishnan Potty for repair without obtaining divine sanction or following prescribed Tantric procedures. The SIT further noted that Rajeevaru failed to report the alleged ritual violation to the TDB or take steps to prevent the handover of temple valuables. “By his inaction, the accused gave criminal tacit consent,” the report said.

Rajeevaru has been booked under IPC Sections 403, 406, 409, 466, 467, and 120B read with 34, along with Sections 13(1)(a) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018.