Sabarimala case: Rajeev Chandrasekhar says Kerala CM should seek CBI probe

Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi: Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the head of the Kerala BJP, stated on Thursday that the CBI should look into the alleged misappropriation of gold from Sabarimala as it is a multi-jurisdictional crime and the SIT has allegedly been unable to take any action up to this point.

Chandrasekhar said that he had requested Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the past to seek a CBI probe, but the Marxist veteran did not do so.

"I respectfully request the CM again to seek a CBI probe into the matter so that the culprits behind the misappropriation can be caught and punished," the BJP leader said while speaking to reporters in Delhi.

Chandrasekhar contended that if the CM sincerely wants to find out who was behind the alleged misappropriation of gold from the Lord Ayyappa shrine, he should seek a CBI probe.

"The government has not been able to find out who is behind the loss of gold from the shrine. The SIT has not found anything. It is a multi-jurisdictional crime involving the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The CBI is the most competent agency to investigate it," he asserted.

The BJP leader also claimed that the vigilance court, while granting bail to Sabarimala tantri (chief priest) Kandararu Rajeevaru, on Wednesday said that prima facie there was no case against him.

"So, it is the responsibility of the CM to find the culprits behind the gold loss," Chandrasekhar said.

A Kerala High Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) is probing the alleged misappropriation of gold from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and the door frames of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) at Sabarimala.

With PTI inputs