Thiruvananthapuram: K B Pradeep, who was recently appointed Special Government Pleader for the Travancore and Cochin Devaswom Boards before the Kerala High Court, on Saturday resigned from the post amid mounting controversy over his selection.
The appointment had drawn criticism from the Opposition LDF, which questioned the government’s decision to appoint a lawyer who had represented Smart Creations, one of the prime accused in the Sabarimala gold theft case.
Soon after the resignation, Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan defended the government’s initial decision, saying Pradeep was chosen for his legal expertise, particularly in criminal law. However, he said the government decided to seek his resignation after devotees expressed concerns over the appointment.
“I received several calls from devotees who had high expectations when this government came to power and believed the Sabarimala gold theft case would be pursued seriously. They were disappointed by the appointment of the government pleader. Based on these concerns, the Chief Minister himself asked Pradeep to resign, and he complied,” the minister said.
Muraleedharan maintained that the appointment was a collective Cabinet decision and was made with good intentions. “But once it created doubts and unease among devotees, we decided that he should step down,” he added.
Pradeep had earlier appeared for Smart Creations in connection with the Sabarimala gold theft case. He had publicly defended the company, arguing that it lacked the technical capability to overlay gold on an already gold-plated surface and insisting that no irregularities had occurred.
The alleged Sabarimala gold scam, which triggered widespread public concern, remains under investigation, and no chargesheet has been filed so far. Against this backdrop, questions were raised over the propriety of appointing a lawyer associated with one of the accused parties to such a key legal position.
Former Industries Minister P Rajeev alleged that Pradeep had already assumed office and may have had access to documents related to the case. He said the timing of the resignation raised questions and called for scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding the appointment.
“We need to examine how this appointment was made and whether any personal interests were involved. It must also be verified what documents and case-related information he may have accessed during his tenure,” Rajeev said. He also pointed out that Pradeep had publicly defended Smart Creations and its alleged links to the Sabarimala gold theft case, making the appointment particularly contentious.
The controversy marks the second instance in which the UDF government has faced criticism over appointments. Earlier, the resignation of Speaker Sunny Joseph’s brother-in-law from the minister’s personal staff had also followed public backlash.
