Kerala Devaswom Special Govt. Pleader resigns after controversy over his appointment

KB Pradeep, who was appointed as the special representative of the Kerala Devaswa government, has resigned from the post. | Photo credit: Special arrangement

Recently appointed government pleader Devaswom Special KB Pradeep filed his papers on Saturday (June 13, 2026) morning after a political controversy erupted over his appointment.

“I voluntarily decided to leave as I did not want to embarrass the government without a problem,” Mr. Pradeep told The Hindu.

Opposition parties criticized the state government for appointing Mr. Pradeep, who they said represented Chennai-based Smart Creations, a company under a cloud of suspicion in the Sabarimala gold theft case.

There were allegations that gold was removed from the dwarapalaka idols, temple door frames and other structures when they were taken for gilding done by the firm. The CEO of the company, Pankaj Bhandari, was also arrested in the case.

According to the opposition political parties, the appointment of Mr. Pradeep was an attempt to cover up the case and protect the real culprits.

Gilded plates were removed from the exterior of the sanctum sanctorum on 17 November 2025 as part of an investigation into the alleged theft of gold at the Sabarimala temple in Pathanamthitta district. Photo credit: PTI

Reacting to the development, Mr. Pradeep said that he had appeared for Smart Creations in a suo motu case initiated by the Supreme Court, which has already been concluded.

“The Special Government Pleader has no role in the conduct of the cases proceeding before the Divisional Bench of the Kerala High Court. The Divisional Tribunal holds the proceedings behind the camera and the Special Investigation Team (SIT) will present its final reports before the Sessions Court, Kollam, where the case will be heard by the state government pleaders. I will have no role in the Sessions case, which will be conducted even in the Sessions case. I will have no chance to access any reports or findings of the SIT,” he said.

Mr Pradeep said fears that he would have access to SIT reports were unfounded.

The appointment was made with good intentions: Devaswom Minister K. Muralidharan

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Devaswom K. Muralidharan said the appointment was made with good intentions considering his status as a criminal lawyer and expertise in the field. After concerns were raised from some quarters about the appointment, the government had other ideas. Several people expressed their concerns about the appointment of a lawyer. Therefore, the government has decided to ask for his resignation, Mr. Muralidharan told the media.

Published – 13 Jun 2026 11:28 IST