Sabarimala Gold Theft Case: Thantri Kandararu Rajeevaru Arrested

Thiruvananthapuram: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Sabarimala gold loss case on Friday arrested Kandararu Rajeevaru, the Thantri of the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple, officials said.

Rajeevaru was taken into custody in the morning and questioned at an undisclosed location. He was later shifted to the SIT office, where his arrest was formally recorded. He had earlier been questioned in November as part of the investigation.

According to investigators, the arrest was based on statements given by the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potty, and material gathered during the probe. The SIT found that Rajeevaru had close associations with Potty and had played a role in decisions related to the replating of gold at the temple.

Officials said Rajeevaru had recommended the replating of the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) plates and the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) doorframe plates. When the Travancore Devaswom Board later sought formal permission for the replating works, the Thantri granted his approval.

Investigators further stated that Unnikrishnan Potty gained a foothold at Sabarimala with the support of the Thantri’s family. Potty entered Sabarimala in 2004 as an assistant to a parikarmi (temple helper) from Alappuzha. At the time, he was serving as a priest at the Srirampur Dharmasastha Temple in Bengaluru, where Rajeevaru was the Thantri. Officials said this association helped Potty’s entry and rise at the hill shrine. During that period, the Travancore Devaswom Board was headed by Congress leader G. Raman Nair.

Between 2012 and 2014, when Congress leader M. P. Govindan Nair was the Devaswom Board president, Potty was given a temporary appointment as Keezhshanthi (assistant priest). Officials said the order was prepared at the Aranmula Thiruvabharanam Office and handed over in a sealed cover.

The SIT said the investigation into the gold plating theft case is continuing and further questioning and legal steps are expected.