Sabarimala thanthri held in gold case

Remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody & sent to the special sub-jail in Thiruvananthapuram

- VARSHA SOMARAJ @T'Puram

IN a decisive move that has sent shock waves among Sabarimala devotees across the globe, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the gold theft case arrested the temple’s thanthri Kandararu Rajeevaru after hours of interrogation on Friday.

He was later remanded to 14 days of judicial remand and sent to the special sub-jail, Thiruvananthapuram.

The remand report alleged that the thanthri played a role in the conspiracy, stating that the gold plates were removed from the temple premises and later brought back with his knowledge and “silent nod”. It said he was present throughout the procedure. Despite the removal of temple articles constituting a violation of rituals and established practices, the thanthri failed to intervene. The report further noted that Rajeevaru had maintained close links with the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potti, since 2004.