The Kerala High Court-appointed special investigation team (SIT) was questioning Sabarimala tantri (chief priest) Kantararu Rajivaru as part of its ongoing probe into the misappropriation of gold-plated religious artefacts from Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple, even as officials privy to the legal process did not rule out the possibility of arrest.
Officials confirmed that the chief priest has been at an SIT “safe house” in Thiruvananthapuram since Friday. Subsequently, the investigating team brought him to the Kerala Police Crime Branch headquarters at Eenchakkal, Thiruvananthapuram.
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Officials said the tantri had “a rightful entitlement” to the affairs of Sabarimala temple, including the granting or denial of permission to conduct maintenance and move artefacts. They said the SIT has sought a legal opinion on whether the priestly orthodoxy falls within the scope of the Prevention of Corruption Act, or whether offences such as conspiracy and intention to commit a crime would apply.
The SIT was questioning Mr. Kandararu for the second time since last December. Sources said the SIT appeared keen to examine Mr. Kandararu’s “decades-old relationship” with the main accused in the case, Unnikrishnan Potti.
