No complaint filed even after a private bank in Thiruvalla collapsed; Mystery surrounds Rs 2.5 crore deposited by Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The special investigation team will investigate the financial transactions of Tantri Kantararr Rajeevaru, who was last arrested in the Sabarimala gold theft case. The investigation team has concluded that there is a mystery behind the Tantri not filing a complaint despite the loss of Rs 2.5 crore deposited in a private bank in Thiruvalla. It was also found that the Tantri has not filed a complaint in this regard even after the bank collapsed.
The Tantri did not utter a word about it during interrogation. The investigation team said that he said that he lost some money in the floods. With this, an investigation has been launched into the source of the Rs 2.5 crore. The investigation team had earlier taken Kantararu Rajeevaru into custody for further investigation. The Tantri was taken into custody to seek clarity on matters such as his dealings with Unnikrishnan Potty, the main accused in the case, and his relationship with other accused. The Kollam Vigilance Court will consider the Tantri's bail plea on January 28th.
Meantime, there are hints that former Travancore Devaswom Board president P S Prasanth is also a key partner in the conspiracy of the Sabarimala gold theft. It is believed that the group including Prasanth conspired to take the Dwarapalaka idols to Chennai without informing the court. It is assumed that the fact that the then Devaswom public works executive engineer was replaced with the assistant executive engineer and that the Devaswom Vigilance was not informed is part of the conspiracy.
The rule is that the board must inform the public works executive engineer and the Devaswom Vigilance in writing of any construction work taking place at the Sannidhanam. No such notification was given when the Dwarapalaka idol sheets were removed. If they had been informed, Sabarimala Special Commissioner R Jayakrishnan would have brought the information to the attention of the High Court when they provided it.
The present Sabarimala Executive Officer, O G Biju, took charge a month before the gold plating on the Dwarapalaka idols, which were removed on September 7, 2025, was to be taken to Chennai. He assumed that Murari Babu, who was the executive officer before him, had completed the procedures. Upon realizing that the court's permission had not been sought, O G Biju immediately submitted a report to the Sabarimala Special Commissioner. He also submitted an e-mail from Unnikrishnan Potty, indicating his willingness to gold-plate the Dwarapalaka idols, along with the report. The investigation was initiated under the supervision of the court after the Special Commissioner informed him about this.