SIT arrests Sabarimala chief priest in gold case

RAJEEVARU IS FROM THE THAZHAMON MADOM FAMILY, WHICH HAS GUIDED SABARIMALA RITUALS FOR GENERATIONS

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The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Sabarimala gold misappropriation case has arrested the temple's chief priest over his alleged “close links” with the prime accused in the case, people aware of the matter said on Friday.

Kandararu Rajeevaru, who served as Tantri of the temple, was first questioned at an undisclosed location and later formally arrested based on the statements of prime accused Unnikrishnan Potty and Padmakumar, the former president of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), news agency PTI reported.

Officials alleged that Rajeevaru gave “silent permission” to Potty to remove gold-clad plates from the temple, in violation of ritualistic norms. He is accused of failing to object to or report the removal of temple assets, which were handed over to a private individual without following prescribed rituals or “divine consent”, ANI reported.

“As the authority empowered to take final decisions on ritual matters, he gave silent approval by not taking any action against the handing over of the gold plates to Potty on the direction of the board,” PTI quoted the arrest report as saying.