Sabarimala gold theft: Kerala HC refuses to cancel Tantri’s bail, expunges ‘No Evidence’ remark

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has dismissed the petition filed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) seeking the cancellation of bail granted to Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru in connection with the high-profile Sabarimala gold theft case.

While the High Court allowed Rajeevaru to remain out on bail, it notably expunged a controversial remark previously made by the Kollam Vigilance Court, which had stated that there was "not even a shred of evidence" against Tantri.

Kandararu Rajeevaru was granted bail by the Kollam Vigilance Court during the initial investigation stage, after spending 41 days in custody. Challenging this decision, the SIT approached the High Court, asserting that the trial court failed to properly evaluate the evidence linking Tantri to the crime.

According to the SIT, Rajeevaru was actively involved in the conspiracy behind the gold theft. Investigative officials argued that they possess concrete evidence establishing a nexus between the Tantri, co-accused Unnikrishnan Potti, and other individuals involved in the case. The SIT contended that the trial court had largely overlooked these findings when granting relief to the accused.

In a related update, the SIT informed the High Court yesterday that its probe into the 2025 theft of the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idol from Sabarimala is in its concluding phases. The team stated that comprehensive details regarding the perpetrators will be submitted in an upcoming progress report.

Furthermore, the investigation is expanding to track down copper plates wrapped in gold sheet that were linked to the temple. The SIT indicated that the trail points toward Tamil Nadu and requested permission to extend the scope of its investigation into Chennai.