Sabarimala missing gold: Chennithala accuses Kerala CM of shielding accused

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Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Saturday accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of trying to protect the accused in the Sabarimala gold loss case.

The incident had hurt the sentiments of Lord Ayyappa devotees across the world, he said, and added that the government was the prime accused in the case.

The Congress leader said former presidents of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), A Padmakumar and N Vasu, had already been arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), but they could not do anything alone without "political support".

He alleged that CM Vijayan was trying to protect them and others accused in the gold missing case.

Referring to the reported reference of Padmakumar about the involvement of a "god-like person" in the case, Chennithala said, "in Marxist party who is god-like other than Pinarayi Vijayan?"  "The present investigation into the case is not extending to the ministers as they have the support of the CM and the government. People of the state have great concern about this," he alleged while talking to reporters here.

The Congress leader further said that the missing of Lord Ayyappa's gold has hurt the sentiments of crores of devotees across the world.

Stating that devotees are offering valuables, including gold at Sabarimala with utmost dedication, he also cited the example of an Ayyappa devotee in his constituency who was worried whether the gold utensils dedicated by him at the hill shrine are still there or went missing.

Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple has been at the centre of a huge political controversy over the loss of gold for some time. A Special Investigation Team is probing the loss of gold and related complaints, and several persons, including two former presidents of the TDB, have been arrested in this regard.