The Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by the Kerala High Court is considering moving the High Court against the Kollam vigilance court’s order granting bail to Sabarimala tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru in the gold theft case.
Sources indicated that the SIT has sought legal opinion and a final decision on filing an appeal is expected within two days. Investigators are understood to be concerned that the vigilance court’s observations could adversely affect the ongoing probe.
According to sources familiar with the SIT’s assessment, the vigilance court, while dealing with a bail application, went into the merits of the case. They maintained that since the SIT was responding only to the bail plea, it had not placed the entire body of evidence before the court and that several issues commented upon were matters to be examined during trial.
Rajeevaru was granted bail in two cases relating to the alleged theft of gold from the temple door frames and dwarapalaka idols on February 18, the 41st day of his custody. The vigilance court had observed that the investigators had failed to produce “an iota of evidence” and could not establish any prima facie material linking the tantri to the alleged conspiracy.
The court’s remarks have put the state government under pressure, with Opposition parties questioning the basis of the arrest.
In his bail plea, Rajeevaru had contended that he was being targeted for opposing the entry of women into the Sabarimala shrine, a claim that triggered fresh political criticism of the CPI(M)-led government.
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram that the arrest should be viewed as a political conspiracy and alleged that it was intended to prevent the investigation from reaching former Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran and current minister V. N. Vasavan.
Responding to the controversy, Law Minister P Rajeeve said the vigilance court order contained unusual features. He remarked that the nature of the order resembled that of a Supreme Court judgment and described the vigilance court’s order as abnormal.
Source: The New Indian Express
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