The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Sabarimala gold theft conducted a prolonged inspection at the private residence of Kandararu Rajeevaru, senior Tantri (chief priest) of the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, in Chengannur, Alappuzha, on Saturday. He was arrested on Friday in connection with the Ayyappa temple gold theft case.
Forensic experts, accredited gold appraisers, police videographers, cyber police personnel, and document experts accompanied the team. Officials said the SIT reportedly focussed on creating an inventory of artefacts, including gold ornaments, in Mr. Rajeevaru’s possession to audit their provenance and confiscate the objects, including bank statements and legal documents, pertaining to the case.
Officials said the SIT was also tracking the financial trail relating to Mr. Rajeevaru’s decades-long transactions with Unnikrishnan Potti, the prime accused in the case. They noted that the SIT had held Mr. Rajeevaru accountable for violating the Prevention of Corruption (Act), 1988. It had accused Mr. Rajeevaru of acquiescing to the Travancore Devaswom Board’s (TDB) “illegal” decision to hand over the temple’s gold-plated copper panels to Mr. Potti, ostensibly for restoration, in 2019, thereby creating an opportunity for their criminal misappropriation.
