Published Jun 13, 2026 | 2:23 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 13, 2026 | 2:23 PM
Sabarimala temple. (iStock)
Synopsis: The government had defended Pradeep’s appointment initially, citing his reputation as a noted criminal lawyer and his experience in temple-related legal matters. He had earlier served as amicus curiae in the Sabarimala Melshanthi case and as advocate commissioner for the Kottiyoor temple.
The UDF government has once again been forced into an embarrassing rollback over a controversial appointment, with newly appointed Devaswom Special Pleader KB Pradeep resigning following mounting criticism and direct intervention from Chief Minister VD Satheesan.
Pradeep’s appointment triggered a major political controversy after it emerged that he had earlier appeared as counsel for Chennai-based Smart Creations, one of the accused firms in the Sabarimala gold robbery case.
The opposition alleged that appointing the lawyer of an accused company to represent the Devaswom in related legal matters amounted to an attempt to weaken or sabotage the ongoing investigation.
Faced with intensifying criticism and growing unease among devotees, the Chief Minister, who also handles the Law Department, reportedly asked Pradeep to step down.
His resignation came shortly thereafter, helping the government avoid further escalation of the controversy.
The government had defended Pradeep’s appointment initially, citing his reputation as a noted criminal lawyer and his experience in temple-related legal matters.
He had earlier served as amicus curiae in the Sabarimala Melshanthi case and as advocate commissioner for the Kottiyoor temple.
According to the government, the Devaswom Department had sought a more effective legal mechanism to handle increasingly complex cases related to temple rituals and administration.
Usually, such matters are handled by a senior government pleader, but Pradeep was appointed by creating the position of Special Government Pleader.
However, the opposition seized upon his links to Smart Creations, the firm that secured the contract for gold plating at the Sabarimala shrine.
Smart Creations CEO Pankaj Bhandari was later arrested by the Special Investigation Team probing the alleged gold robbery. Pradeep had also appeared in Bhandari’s bail pleas.
Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan strongly criticised the appointment, calling it “a very strange incident” and questioning how such a decision could be taken without proper scrutiny.
“When a person who appeared for the accused institution is appointed for Devaswom matters, it is like appointing a thief to guard the treasury,” Vijayan said, adding that such an appointment should never have been made.
Former Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan also alleged that there was “mystery” behind the move and claimed the appointment was aimed at undermining the ongoing police investigation.
Devaswom Minister K. Muraleedharan, while defending the government’s intentions, admitted that the appointment had created doubts among devotees.
He said many people had contacted him expressing concern that hopes of exposing the Sabarimala gold theft had diminished after Pradeep’s appointment.
Muraleedharan said the appointment had been made in good faith and with cabinet approval, arguing that Pradeep’s prior appearance for the accused could have helped identify weaknesses in their defence.
He also acknowledged that the controversy and public perception ultimately forced the government to reconsider.
“The appointment was made with good intentions. But when doubts arose among devotees, the Chief Minister demanded his resignation based on those concerns,” the minister said.
However, in the initial phase of the controversy, Devaswom Minister Muraleedharan had publicly defended the appointment.
He argued that Pradeep’s previous appearance for the accused firm could actually strengthen the prosecution side, as the lawyer would be familiar with the weaknesses in the defence case.
The development comes close on the heels of another politically damaging appointment row involving personal staff appointment of a minister.
Recently, Minister Sunny Joseph’s brother-in-law Benny Thomas had resigned as private secretary following allegations of nepotism.
The latest controversy has reinforced opposition claims that the government is struggling with controversial appointments and internal coordination.
(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Dileep V Kumar)
