Satheesan demands SIT’s clarification on tanthri’s arrest

Idukki: Opposition leader V D Satheesan on Monday sought to know on what grounds Sabarimala chief priest Kandararu Rajeevaru was arrested in the gold heist case and kept in jail as the high court has observed that there was no evidence to initiate a case against him."The court granted bail to the tanthri observing that there was not even an "iota of evidence" against him. SIT owes us an explanation regarding that. The tanthri does not need any special protection, but the court order suggests that he was not even given the protection available to an ordinary citizen," Satheesan told reporters on the sidelines of a reception accorded to the UDF's Puthu Yuga Yatra in Adimali.The senior Congress leader alleged that when the tantri was arrested, CPM leaders and the party's social media handles had projected it as a "credit" of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, but were now silent.According to him, the investigation focus shifted to the tantri at a time when allegations had surfaced against a former minister, current minister and three leaders had landed in jail, putting the CPM in the dock."The same suspicion we raised then remains even now," he said.Satheesan said that the opposition continued its boycott of the assembly seeking devaswom minister V N Vasavan's resignation and an end to alleged pressure from the chief minister's office on the SIT probing the Sabarimala gold heist case. (With inputs from agencies)