Thiruvananthapuram: A vigilance court on Wednesday granted bail to Sabarimala tantri (chief priest) Kandararu Rajeevaru in cases related to the alleged misappropriation of gold from the Sabarimala Temple, police sources said.
Rajeevaru is the 16th accused in the case concerning the alleged loss of gold from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and the 13th accused in the case related to the disappearance of gold from the door frames of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum).
He has been granted bail in both cases. The detailed court order is awaited.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the matter has alleged that Rajeevaru was aware in 2019 that gold-clad plates were removed from the temple without following prescribed procedures and that he failed to report the issue to the appropriate authorities.
Further investigation in the matter is ongoing.