Thiruvananthapuram: The political temperature in Kerala has risen sharply following the Kollam Vigilance Court’s decision to grant bail to Thantri (Chief pandit) Kanthar Rajeevar in the Sabarimala gold theft case. The contrast between the government’s aggressive response to Thantri’s release and its silence when Devaswom employee Sreekumar received bail in a similar matter has triggered accusations of selective outrage and political vendetta.
Critics point out that when Sreekumar was granted bail earlier, after the court cited a lack of evidence, the ruling establishment raised no objections. Now, however, the same court’s order has been branded “mysterious,” with the CPI(M) government questioning why the Thantri plans to approach the Kerala High Court after securing bail. The Vigilance Court also observed that investigators failed to present a single piece of concrete evidence against the Thantri, who spent 41 days in custody before his release, an outcome widely seen as a serious embarrassment for the government.
Government pushback and CPM’s political offensive
Kerala Law Minister P. Rajeev reiterated that there was something “unusual” about the bail order, even as CPI(M) State Secretary M. V. Govindan escalated the rhetoric. Speaking in Kannur, Govindan claimed the Thantri was not just a thief but a “big thief,” insisting that his alleged role in the gold robbery would be proven once the investigation concludes. Govindan also alleged that K. C. Venugopal, AICC general Secretary and former Kerala Devaswom Minister between 2004-06, had facilitated the appointment of another accused individual to the Devaswom, adding sarcastically that former comrades who once spoke loudly were now conspicuously silent.
The court order, meanwhile, appeared to reinforce Thantri’s claim that his arrest was politically motivated. He had told the court that the case was retaliation for his opposition to the entry of young women at Sabarimala Mandir. Former opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged that the Thantri was being made a scapegoat to prevent the probe from reaching senior leaders, naming CPI(M)’sformer Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran and current Devaswom Minister V. N. Vasavan.
As the Legislative Assembly prepares to convene, the government is expected to face uncomfortable questions over the prolonged detention of a priest without evidence. Adding to the controversy is the continued incarceration of CPI(M) leader A. Padmakumar, former Devaswom president and a key accused, against whom the party has so far taken no disciplinary action. CPI(M) leaders have said they are still awaiting “clarifications” in his case.
BJP slams ‘Vendetta Politics’
The BJP intensified its attack, with former governor of Goa, P. S. Sreedharan Pillai, calling the Thantri’s arrest an act of vendetta. He argued that branding someone a thief after a court grants bail due to a lack of evidence amounts to an assault on the rule of law. Pillai said the Thantri, who had ordered the temple closed during the controversial entry of women, was targeted when authorities found an opportunity. According to him, the earlier stand triggered covert efforts by the government to implicate the priest. “The court has clearly stated there is not a shred of evidence, yet senior leaders continue to call him a thief,” he said.
He also rejected criticism over offering legal advice to the Thantri, stressing that he spoke as a lawyer, not as a BJP leader, and that he stood as a “devadasa,” not someone claiming authority over faith. Pillai urged that his book Sabarimala ‘Samaravum Suvarnavasara Vidhiyum’ should not be dragged into the controversy and confirmed he has no plans to contest the upcoming Assembly elections, saying it was time for a new generation to step forward. With public discourse hardening and political camps entrenched, the Sabarimala gold theft case has evolved from a criminal investigation into a full-blown political flashpoint, none likely to dominate Kerala’s legislative and electoral landscape in the weeks ahead.
