CMO exerts pressure on SIT in Sabarimala gold loss probe: LoP Satheesan

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 19 (PTI) Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan on Friday alleged that the CMO exerted pressure on the SIT probing the Sabarimala gold loss cases.

He claimed that pressure was applied to prevent the interrogation and arrest of key persons in the case.

"There was a direction from the Chief Minister’s Office that further steps should be taken only after the local body elections. Now, the Kerala High Court itself has underlined our allegation by pointing out that key persons, including those connected with the Travancore Devaswom Board, were neither arrested nor arraigned as accused in the case," Satheesan said.

He alleged that the pressure was applied as the CPI(M) feared political fallout during the election period.

Satheesan clarified that he had never expressed distrust in the Special Investigation Team.

"It is a team of competent officers appointed by the Kerala High Court, and we do not doubt their integrity. However, they are officers under the Home Department and were placed under pressure from the CMO," he alleged.

He said the pace of the investigation slowed due to this pressure.

Asked about the Enforcement Directorate initiating a probe into the Sabarimala gold loss case, Satheesan said he had no objection to a central agency investigating the matter, as the gold was taken to Tamil Nadu.

"We have no objection to a central agency probe. Our only concern is that the investigation should not be politically motivated," he said.

Satheesan alleged that large financial transactions involving an international racket could be behind the incident.

"There are several possibilities. It is possible that the gold was sold to a millionaire, and that the case has inter-state ramifications," he said.

He said the two businessmen arrested by the SIT on Friday were unlikely to be the kingpins in the case.

Satheesan further alleged that the Devaswom Minister in 2019 had links with the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potty, and demanded that he be interrogated.

He also claimed there was pressure from the CMO to prevent the arrest of former Travancore Devaswom Board president N Vasu.

"But the SIT did not give in to that pressure," he said.

He added that the investigation should also probe the role of former TDB president P S Prasanth.

"Since the gold theft in 2019 went undetected, a similar attempt was made in 2024 to replate gold artefacts as directed by Prasanth. What happened in 2024 was an attempted theft, which fortunately did not succeed due to the court’s intervention," Satheesan said. PTI TBA SSK TBA SSK ADB