Kerala HC stays remarks made by Vigilance Court, Kollam, while granting bail to Sabarimala tantri

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday stayed the remarks of the Vigilance Court Kollam, which had granted bail to Sabarimala tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru in the case related to the alleged misuse of gold in the Sabarimala temple.

A notification in this regard was also sent to Tantri. The HC was hearing the plea of ​​the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is probing the case, challenging the bail order granted to the tantri by the trial court. The SIT stated that there was crucial evidence showing the direct involvement of the tantri in the case. The court argued that the trial court ignored many facts and circumstances regarding the role of the tantri in the case, resulting in a miscarriage of justice.

The Vigilance Court, which granted bail to Tantri in February, observed that the SIT had failed to produce concrete evidence to support the allegations made against him.

While stating that the responsibilities of the tantri were strictly limited to ritual and ceremonial matters of the temple, the court had observed that the tantri had no power to override administrative decisions passed by the Travancore Devaswom Board; this was a factor that weighed heavily in the decision to grant him bail.