Things came to a head on Saturday when Pradeep quit the Devaswom Special Pleader post. It was the culmination of some hard pressure from the top; Chief Minister V D Satheesan made it clear he wanted him out, given the flak over Pradeep’s history with Smart Creations, which is part of the case.
You can read the resignation as a quick about-face by the UDF government, which has been fielding opposition barbs and some restlessness in its own ranks. It also puts a finer point on issues of conflict of interest and how much stock to put in the state’s legal approach to a temple case that is anything but ordinary.
Why the appointment triggered backlash
It wasn’t just the case at hand. The furor built up when the government put in place a new Special Pleader role for the Devaswom Department, where they used to make do with a Senior Government Pleader. Critics were quick to say the job was made to fit Pradeep.
Then there is the fact that Pradeep has put in an appearance for Smart Creations, the Chennai outfit at the centre of the Sabarimala gold investigation. That kind of tie-in makes people wonder if the state’s case could be in any way hobbled when it comes to one of the most venerated temples in the state.
Government’s defence and course correction
Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan has said the hire was a Cabinet call and pointed to collective responsibility. But he has since conceded a mistake was made, in light of what he has heard from devotees, and put it on record that the CM has asked for Pradeep's resignation to put an end to any speculation.
The Minister’s earlier words didn’t help: he had suggested a lawyer who knows the accused’s weak spots is an asset. That was pounced on as an open-and-shut case of the government picking a counsel with ties to a probed firm.
In a nutshell, here is the government’s side of it:
– It was done by the numbers, per the Cabinet
– A rethink was in order after complaints from the public
– The CM put in the word for the resignation to quiet the room
Opposition intensifies scrutiny
Pinarayi Vijayan, the Leader of the Opposition, has called it a ‘strange turn of events’. He wants to know how this was approved and if the Devaswom Minister was in the dark about the lawyer’s past with Smart Creations. It is all putting the government on the spot to put up some answers.
Some in the CPM have ratcheted up the rhetoric. Ex-minister P Rajeev is of the view that a resignation doesn’t make the problem go away, and has put forward the idea that a former government counsel might have had a look at some files he shouldn’t have. He is calling for a review of any SIT material that may have been in his hands.
Rajeev, along with K N Balagopal and V N Vasavan, are talking of a ‘planned conspiracy’ to ‘sabotage’ the work. Vasavan even says Pradeep has been in front of the High Court for the likes of the accused and for Smart Creations, and you have to ask if the state is truly after the truth.
Spotlight back on the Sabarimala probe
The theory on the ground is that the gold-plated panels from the temple made their way to a Smart Creations workshop to be worked on, with the gold then siphoned off. The company is tied to Unnikrishnan Potti, who is the prime suspect in the eyes of the investigators.
The SIT has yet to put in its chargesheet. So this whole affair has brought up the question of whether the state is making the case stronger or eroding faith in a process that is as much about religion as it is about due process.
What to watch next
Now that Pradeep is out, the focus is on housekeeping and the integrity of the investigation. The opposition is after some straight talk on how he was appointed and if he had any special access. The government is left to prove it can put things right.
Here is what is being looked at:
– The making and the clearing of the new position
– Any chance of confidential files being seen
– The timeline for the SIT’s chargesheet
