Kerala High Court Adjourns Sabarimala Tanthri Bail Cancellation Petitions to May 26
The Kerala High Court on Tuesday adjourned to May 26 the petitions filed by the state government seeking cancellation of the bail granted to Sabarimala tanthri Kandararu Rajeevaru. Rajeevaru is an accused in two cases relating to the alleged gold heist at the Sabarimala temple, a major religious site in Kerala.
Court Proceedings and Interim Orders
A bench of Justice A Badharudeen adjourned the matter to enable Rajeevaru to file objections to the government's petitions. The High Court also extended the interim orders staying the operation of the remarks made by the bail court. Those remarks had effectively given a clean chit to Rajeevaru while granting him bail in the cases, a move the state government is challenging.
Background of the Case
Kandararu Rajeevaru was arrested on January 16 in connection with two cases involving the alleged misappropriation of gold from the Sabarimala temple. The cases pertain to theft from the gold-clad copper plate coverings of the dwarapalaka idols, as well as from the gold-clad encasings of the door frames of the main sreekovil and two ‘prabha mandalam' plates on top of the sreekovil door frame.
He was subsequently granted bail on February 18 after spending nearly a month in custody. While granting bail, the Kollam special court observed that the allegation of criminal conspiracy against the tanthri was not supported by any prima facie material at that stage of the investigation.
Legal Observations and Government Challenge
The court further noted that no evidence had been adduced by the special investigation team (SIT) to establish any direct nexus between the petitioner and the first accused, apart from a bald averment regarding a close relationship between them. This lack of concrete evidence played a key role in the bail decision.
Accordingly, the state government has approached the High Court challenging the impugned order granting bail to Rajeevaru. The government's petitions argue that the bail court's remarks were premature and could hinder the ongoing investigation into the temple gold heist.
The adjournment to May 26 allows both sides to prepare their arguments more thoroughly, with Rajeevaru now having the opportunity to formally respond to the state's cancellation requests. The case continues to draw significant attention due to its implications for temple security and legal proceedings in high-profile religious theft cases.
