Sabarimala gold theft: BJP demands Devaswom Board's dissolution

BJP's Shobha Surendran demands the Sabarimala Devaswom Board's dissolution and a court-supervised administrator. This follows the bail of Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru, accused in the temple's high-profile gold theft case.

As the alleged gold theft at the Sabarimala temple continues to rock the state, BJP Kerala State Secretary Shobha Surendran called for the immediate dissolution of the Sabarimala Devaswom Board on Thursday. Speaking at a press conference, Surendran demanded the appointment of a court-supervised administrator to take over the management of the temple. "All Devaswom Boards should be dissolved. In particular, the Sabarimala Devaswom Board must be disbanded. The Travancore Devaswom Board should be dissolved and an administrator appointed under the supervision of the court," said Surendran.

BJP Demand Follows Tantri's Release

These remarks follow the release of the Sabaimala accused, Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru, who walked out of the Poojappura Central Prison on Wednesday. Rajeevaru was granted bail by the Kollam Vigilance Court in connection with the high-profile gold theft case. The accused Rajeevaru was released after completing 41 days in judicial remand. The court granted him bail in cases alleging misappropriation of gold from the temple's Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) sculptures and the Kattilappaali (door frame).

Arrest and Charges in Detail

On January 9, Rajeevar, the Chief priest (Tantri) of Sabarimala, was arrested by the Crime Branch in connection with the Sabarimala gold theft case. He was questioned by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), the Kerala police said. The arrest was made after multiple charges, including criminal breach of trust, forgery, criminal conspiracy, and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, were levelled against him.

According to the arrest notice issued under Section 48 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), the case pertains to alleged irregularities in the removal and handling of gold-plated copper panels and ornamental structures fixed on the sanctum sanctorum door of the Sabarimala temple.

Other Developments and Case Background

Additonally on January 23, the Kollam Vigilance Court granted statutory bail to former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) administrative officer Murari Babu in connection with the case. Murari Babu was arrested in October last year on charges of conspiracy, after allegedly forwarding a proposal to electroplate the Dwarapalaka idols and Sreekovil doorframes to the TDB, as suggested by the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potti.

The Sabarimala controversy centres on alleged irregularities in the gold-plating work carried out at the Sabarimala temple.

The issue stems from a 1998 donation of 30.3 kilograms of gold and 1,900 kilograms of copper by industrialist Vijay Mallya, intended for the cladding of the sanctum sanctorum and the wooden carvings of the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple.

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