Kollam (Kerala): The Kerala High Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Tuesday strongly opposed the bail plea of jailed Sabarimala temple tantri Kantarar Rajeevar before the Kollam Vigilance Court, citing the accumulation of “huge and disproportionate wealth” and his alleged long-standing association with the prime accused in the Sabarimala gold heist case.
Arguing that bail should not be granted “under any circumstances”, the SIT informed the court that the tantri had bank deposits amounting to Rs 2.05 crore, while his wife held deposits of approximately Rs 62 lakh.
The investigation team contended that the scale of assets raised serious questions about the source of income and necessitated continued custodial scrutiny.
The SIT further argued that Rajeevar squarely comes under the ambit of the Prevention of Corruption Act, as he was attached to the Sabarimala temple, which functions under the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) and, by extension, the Devaswom department of the state government.
On this basis, the prosecution maintained that the offences alleged were grave in nature and involved misuse of a public position.
Highlighting the broader conspiracy angle, the SIT told the court that the tantri and Unnikrishnan Potti, the prime accused in the Sabarimala gold heist case, had known each other since 2004, suggesting a long-standing association that predated the current case.
The investigators argued that granting bail at this stage could hamper the probe, including efforts to trace money trails and identify additional beneficiaries.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the Vigilance Court reserved its order on the bail plea and posted the matter for February 18.
The investigation into the alleged gold heist and related financial irregularities has so far led to the arrest of 13 accused, of whom four have secured bail.
The SIT has indicated that further arrests are possible as the probe progresses.
In a related development, the Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected the bail plea of Karnataka-based jeweller Govardhan, another accused in the case, dealing a setback to attempts by key suspects to secure relief.
Meanwhile, the Kollam Vigilance Court is also expected to pronounce orders shortly on the bail plea of senior CPI-M leader and TDB’s former President, N. Vasu, whose role in the case is under investigation.
(IANS)
