Kollam: A Vigilance Court in Kollam on Thursday granted the Special Investigation Team (SIT) one-day custody of Sabarimala Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru in connection with the probe into the loss of gold at the hill shrine.

Allowing the SIT's plea, Vigilance Court Judge Mohit C S granted custody of Rajeevaru, who is an accused in the case relating to the disappearance of gold from the doorframe of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum). He was later taken to the SIT office in Thiruvananthapuram for questioning. This is the first time the SIT has sought Rajeevaru's custody since his arrest on January 9.

SIT will also move the court seeking his custody in a separate case involving the loss of gold from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols, in which he is listed as the 16th accused.

Meanwhile, the court is scheduled to deliver its order on Friday on the bail pleas filed by former Sabarimala administrative officer B Murari Babu in both cases. The bail applications were heard on Thursday, after which the court reserved its orders.

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The SIT was constituted following directions from a division bench of the Kerala High Court, which ordered a comprehensive probe based on the findings of chemical analysis of samples collected from Sabarimala. The High Court has also directed the SIT to file a status report by February 9.

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