Sabarimala Thantri arrested at the behest of Kerala CM’s Office, alleges LoP

As the Kollam Vigilance Court has granted bail to Thantri Kantararu Rajeevaru in the Sabimala gold heist case, ruling that investigators failed to produce “an iota of evidence” to establish a prima facie case against him, Leader of the Opposition in the assembly V D Satheesan on Friday raised questions over the arrest of the Thantri.

Satheesan asked the government to explain why Thantri Kantararu Rajeevaru was arrested. Speaking to media persons in Aluva, he alleged that the Thantri was arrested under the influence of the Chief Minister’s Office to divert attention from the allegations made against CPM leaders in the Sabarimala gold loot case.

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“When a person like Thantri is arrested, it is the responsibility of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to make it clear to the public why he is being arrested and what his involvement in the crime is. The investigation team should tell why Sabarimala Thantri was incarcerated in jail for 41 days even though he was not involved in the case. There are allegations that Thantri was arrested under the influence of the Chief Minister’s Office to divert attention from the allegations against the CPM leaders,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sabarimala Rajeevaru has come forward with serious allegations against the government. He linked his arrest to his stand during the 2018 women’s entry row, claiming that his position at the time had ruffled the feathers of many.

Rajeevaru, who was the 16th accused in the alleged loss of gold from the Dwarapalaka and the 13th accused in the alleged loss of gold from the doorframes of the sanctum sanctorum, was granted bail by the Kollam Vigilance Court on Wednesday. The bail order referred to arguments raised by Thantri’s counsel during the hearing. His counsel told the court that the action taken against him was a retaliation for opposing the entry of women into Sabarimala.