Kollam, Feb 20 (IANS) In a dramatic turn in the Sabarimala gold theft case, Tantri Kantarar Rajeevar has accused the Pinarayi Vijayan government of orchestrating his arrest as an act of political revenge, even as the Kollam Vigilance Court granted him bail after 41 days in remand.

It was on Thursday that the tantri walked out on bail.

The explosive allegations, contained in the court’s bail order, have added a fresh political dimension to the high-profile case.

The tantri argued before the court that he was deliberately implicated in the case because of his strong stand against the entry of women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala temple during the controversy that gripped the state in 2018 during the then two month long festival season.

According to his submission, he had insisted that temple rituals and customs should not be violated during the women’s entry issue.

This stance, he claimed, invited the ire of senior police officials stationed at Sannidhanam and others.

He further alleged that a narrative was fabricated to portray him as being involved in the gold heist along with certain ruling party leaders.

The Vigilance Court, however, found that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case directly linking the tantri to the alleged theft.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) could not prove a direct connection between him and the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potti.

The court accepted the defence argument that the tantri’s authority was limited to ritualistic matters and that there was no material evidence at this stage to establish his involvement in the gold theft.

The court also upheld the contention that permission to remove the Dwarapalaka panels was granted solely for repair work.

It observed that there was no evidence to show that the tantri had instructed that the panels be handed over to Potti.

Further, vigilance reports prepared by the Devaswom Board did not contain adverse findings against him.

The court noted that the prosecution had failed to present sufficient evidence despite detailed arguments from both sides.

The bail order is being seen as a setback for the investigation team and a significant development in the politically sensitive case, which continues to spark debate across the state.

–IANS

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