The Special Investigation Team (SIT), in its petition submitted in the High Court, seeking cancellation of bail granted to Sabarimala tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru in the gold smuggling case, has cited that there is incriminating evidence to establish collusion between the tantri and the other accused, including the prime accused Unnikrishnan Potty, in the crime.

Both the request by prime accused Unnikrishnan Potty for sponsorship to gold-plate the idols and door frames and the tantri's response to the request were found to have originated from the same computer of former Executive Officer Sudheesh Kumar, who is the 6th accused in the case. 

According to the SIT, the request of Potty and the response of tantri are prepared in the same font, one after another, on June 18, 2019 and that too in the same file as continuing pages. The second accused, Murari Babu, in his recommendation letter filed on June 17, 2019, attached Potty's proposal and tantri's opinion recommending the work. The hard disk of the suspected computer was taken and subjected to forensic analysis.

The SIT said that it was not possible to attach tantri's opinion dated June 18,2019 with the letter of Murari Babu when his recomendation was prepared on June 17, 2019. The investigation showed that all these communications originated on the same day at the instance of the accused persons in collusion with the tantri.

"This clinching evidence proves the conspiracy hatched among the respondent and other accused persons right from the germination stage of the scam," the SIT disclosed in the petition. 

It was also found that all the other opinions furnished by tantri were prepared and produced in his own handwriting whenever required, but the opinion furnished on Potty's proposal was prepared in typed format in the then Executive Officer's computer. 

The SIT also produced statements of witnesses to cite that Potty and tantri maintained a close relationship and Potty had taken tantri to different places outside the state for pooja including the house of Govardhan Roddam, the jeweller who is one of the accused in the case. The probe showed that tantri had visited the house of Govardhan Roddam at Bellary in 2017 to conduct pooja in his house and also in his jewellery at Bellary town.

The petition also notes that the Vigilance court, which granted bail to tantri conducted a mini trial by way or holding a rowing inquiry and reached an untenable conclusion.

The SIT also produced a forensic report based on analysis of tantri's phone. It said that plenty of highly objectionable materials have been found in tantri's phone. The SIT quotes the provisions of the Travancore Devaswom Manual and said that the principal qualification of a tantri is knowledge in the tantric rites and he should be a pious person. 

During the probe, the SIT also collected the chats from the mobile phone of Unnikrishnan Potty and it showed that he was in the habit of having discussions with tantri and other Devaswom officials including the board members before commencing a work or sponsorship.

In the petition, the SIT has prayed to the court to set aside the order of the Vigilance court, Kollam and to expunge the adverse observations against the investigation.

The Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge (Vigilance), Kollam, said in the order that there was not an iota of evidence against tantri. The court's remarks caused a political uproar, especially after Tantri's allegation in his bail plea that he was made an accused in the case because he had objected to the LDF government's decision to allow women's entry into Sabarimala.