The arrest of Sabarimala Tantri Kadararu Rajeevaru in the gold loss case sparked a new round of accusations in Kerala, with the opposition Congress alleging that he was deliberately implicated. The ruling CPI(M) countered by stating that he was part of a list of "big thieves."
The recent ruling by the Kollam Vigilance Court that there was no evidence against Rajeevaru further fueled the debate, with opposition parties targeting the state government.
Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala accused the Tantri of being deliberately framed, claiming that the arrest was politically motivated and aimed at preventing the investigation from reaching certain "big shots."
He alleged that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) was controlled by the Chief Minister's Office and that Rajeevaru was arrested to prevent the investigation from reaching key individuals.
Chennithala also criticized the SIT for failing to conduct a proper investigation into the alleged conspiracy behind the case.
Despite Rajeevaru being a revered figure, he was arrested and detained for 41 days without any evidence, Chennithala stated.
The Kollam Vigilance court had clearly stated that there was no evidence against Rajeevaru, leading Chennithala to conclude that he was deliberately framed.
He further alleged that despite clear evidence against certain individuals, no action had been taken.
The arrest and detention were allegedly aimed at diverting the investigation and preventing it from reaching Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan and former minister Kadakampally Surendran.
He also accused former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president P S Prasanth of "serious lapses" in connection with the gold loss issue, but Prasanth was questioned secretly and released.
Chennithala claimed that the ruling LDF suffered a major defeat in recent local elections, leading to the decision to interfere with the SIT probe.
He asserted that the people of the state would respond to what he termed as "political misuse" of the case.
CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan rejected the Congress allegations, stating that no one involved in the matter would be protected.
Speaking to reporters in Kannur, Govindan said that the SIT investigation is ongoing and that Congress leaders also have a role in the alleged gold theft.
He further claimed that certain political parties are 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."
In response to the allegations about Rajeevaru's opposition to women's entry at the hill shrine, Govindan stated that Rajeevaru is part of the "list of big thieves" and that no one involved in the matter will be protected.
He asserted that the law will take its own course, ensuring that no gold is missing from Sabarimala.
State Law Minister P Rajeev commented on the court observations granting bail to Tantri, stating that there were "unusual aspects" involved.
He told the media in Kochi that if a High Court division bench has observed that the investigation is proceeding in the right direction, it is not usual for a lower court to make observations that appear like a final verdict in the case.
Rajeev further stated that such powers can be exercised by the Supreme Court.
He added that unlike in other cases, the state government was not exercising any supervisory role in the matter and that decisions such as whether to file an appeal against the bail order did not come before the government.
He said that the High Court division bench is monitoring all aspects related to the case, and that reports on the progress of the investigation and regarding each arrest in the case had been submitted before it by the SIT.
The vigilance court in Kollam 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).