Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday ruled out the need for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe at this stage in the Sabarimala gold heist case, stating that the High Court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) was proceeding in the “right direction” and enjoying broad public confidence.
Both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) have been demanding a CBI investigation into the case.
Speaking to the media, Vijayan said the probe was being conducted strictly under the supervision of the Kerala High Court and that the SIT was performing its duties effectively. “It was this government which suggested a High Court-monitored investigation. Neither the Chief Minister nor the Chief Minister's Office has any role whatsoever in the conduct of the probe,” he said, dismissing allegations of political interference as baseless.
The Chief Minister added that the SIT would decide whom to question as part of its investigation, based solely on evidence and information gathered. “The government has no role in deciding who should be summoned. The SIT has to collect a lot of information, and it will proceed accordingly,” he said, adding that a CBI probe was “not warranted at present” as the ongoing investigation was progressing properly.
Vijayan also responded to the controversy surrounding a photo linked to the case, which shows Congress MP Adoor Prakash, Congress MP Anto Antony from Pathanamthitta, the prime accused Unnikrishnan Potti, and another jeweller currently in jail, alongside Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. Prakash, on Thursday, alleged that the Chief Minister's political secretary, P. Sasi, was behind spreading news that he was to be questioned by the SIT.
Commenting on the matter, Vijayan said the public was seeking answers on how such individuals came together in a single frame and who facilitated their access to a high-security leader like Sonia Gandhi. “When questions are being raised on how these people reached close to Sonia Gandhi and what role the MPs had in it, there has been no reply from those concerned,” he said, stressing that the state government had nothing to hide and no role in the investigation.
Meanwhile, responding to remarks by Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam General Secretary Vellappally Natesan, who had questioned the trustworthiness of the Communist Party of India (CPI), Vijayan strongly rejected the claim. He said the CPI-M shared an excellent relationship with its key ally, the CPI, and that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) remained united and stable. “They are our steadfast partners of long standing. There are no trust issues at all,” he asserted.
With IANS inputs