Sabarimala gold theft: Signature on mahazar puts Tantri Rajeevaru under spotlight

KOCHI: Strong evidence has emerged against Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru in the Sabarimala gold theft case. According to documents seized by the High Court and an interim court order, Rajeevaru was among the signatories on the mahazar (official record) prepared on May 18, 2019, when the gold-plated wooden frame of the Sreekovil door was handed over to the main accused, Unnikrishnan Potty. Investigators have also found that 474.9 grams of gold went missing from the panels, which had been incorrectly recorded as “copper sheets.”

Rajeevaru has claimed that he only approved the repair works as part of temple practice. However, his signature on the mahazar is likely to go against him. The document was also signed by then Melsanthi V.N. Vasudevan Namboothiri; officers B. Murari Babu, D. Jayakumar, R. Shankaranarayanan, K. Sulinkumar, C.R. Bijumon; and employees S. Jayakumar, P.J. Rajesh, and V.M. Kumar. Murari Babu has been arrested. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) had questioned Tantri Rajeevaru the other day. He admitted to knowing Unnikrishnan Potty. The testimony of former Devaswom president A. Padmakumar, who is in custody, is also against the Tantri.

Potty took the wooden panels before the repair work on the dwarapalaka sculptures began. Earlier, he had gained credibility after renovating the Sreekovil door. The move to hand over the panels began on February 16, 2019. In a letter from the Sabarimala Executive Officer to the Devaswom Commissioner, the panels were described as “gold sheets.” However, in the recommendation forwarded to the Board, the term was changed to “copper,” and the Board approved it on March 20. The panels were finally sent to Chennai in May.