**Title:** Former Sabarimala Chief Priest Arrested in Gold Theft Case
**Meta Description:** Kandararu Rajeevaru, ex-Chief Priest of Sabarimala Temple, arrested by Kerala SIT in connection with gold theft from temple door frames.
**URL Slug:** former-sabarimala-chief-priest-arrested-gold-theft
**Headline:** Kerala SIT Arrests Former Sabarimala Chief Priest in Gold Theft Investigation
The Kerala Special Investigation Team (SIT) has arrested Kandararu Rajeevaru, the former Chief Priest (Tantri) of the Sabarimala Temple, as part of the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of gold from the temple’s door frames. This arrest follows a recent order from the vigilance court in Kollam, which authorized the probe team to detain Rajeevaru.
Upon receiving the court’s directive, the SIT proceeded to the judicial custody where Rajeevaru is currently held in connection with an earlier case against him. The arrest was officially recorded at this location. This marks the second time the SIT has apprehended Rajeevaru; he was first taken into custody last Friday. The initial case against him involves allegations that gold-plated door frames and Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols from the Sabarimala Temple, which were meant to be returned after gold-plating in 2019, were not fully returned, raising suspicions of misappropriation and theft.
Rajeevaru was questioned at an undisclosed location before being transferred to the SIT office, where his arrest was formally documented. To date, the Kerala High Court-monitored SIT has arrested a total of 12 individuals in connection with the gold theft case. Recently, the SIT also apprehended K P Sankara Das, a former member of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), at a private hospital in Kerala. Das is implicated in the same two cases involving the Dwarapalaka idols and the Sreekovil door frames.
Additionally, former TDB presidents N Vasu and A Padmakumar, along with former board member N Vijayakumar, have also been arrested in relation to the Sabarimala gold theft case, and all are currently in judicial custody.
As the investigation continues, the SIT is expected to uncover more details regarding the alleged misappropriation of temple assets, shedding light on the broader implications for temple governance and accountability.
**FAQ Section:**
**Q: What is the Sabarimala gold theft case about?**
A: The Sabarimala gold theft case involves allegations of misappropriation and theft of gold from the temple’s door frames and guardian deity idols, which were not returned after gold-plating in 2019.
