Sabarimala gold theft case: SIT gets green light to extract samples from temple fixtures

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Monday authorised the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the Sabarimala gold misappropriation case to disassemble the shrine's Prabhamandalam, a decorative metal archway, along with the upper door frame plates to gather specimens for laboratory testing.

A division bench consisting of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar approved the request after reviewing a comprehensive status update presented by the specialised investigative unit.

Investigating officer S Sasidharan personally attended the court proceedings to tender the official document.

Sasidharan notified the bench that the analytical findings regarding the gold-coated copper sheets of the Sabarimala temple, which had been dispatched to the National Metallurgical Laboratory (NML) in Jamshedpur, were delivered on May 29.

"It is submitted that the report is highly comprehensive and, when read together with the report submitted by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), provides a clear picture of the methodology adopted and sheds light on the manner in which the offence was perpetrated," the court noted.

The bench remarked that its close inspection of the NML findings indicated the data would heavily assist in pinpointing exactly how the suspected theft of gold was executed at the sannidhanam, or temple complex.

According to the dossier presented to the justices, the ongoing inquiry has led detectives to interview and document the testimonies of 408 witnesses up to this point.

Furthermore, the SIT confiscated a pair of one-terabyte hard drives utilised by the Sabarimala executive officer's bureau to store administrative logs, alongside a separate two-terabyte hard drive holding data from the 2018–19 timeframe. These storage devices have been transferred to the Kerala State Forensic Science Laboratory for forensic examination.

The court heard that the scrutiny of these electronic files remains underway, and formal conclusions are currently pending.

The SIT asserted that in 2019, an entity named Smart Creations, based in Chennai, extracted gold plating from temple objects utilising a specialised chemical agent termed "stripping salt," which had been sourced from Mumbai.

Detectives have secured a specimen of this chemical compound and routed it to the NML for laboratory diagnostics. The pending results are deemed vital for establishing the technique allegedly employed to peel the gold from the religious artefacts.

The briefing also noted that investigators have gathered data concerning copper sheets acquired in 1998, adding that subsequent verification processes must be carried out in Chennai.

SIT officials explained to the bench that while physical material had previously been extracted from certain fixtures within the Sabarimala Sreekovil, or sanctum sanctorum, the Prabhamandalam plates and the upper door frame plate could not be uninstalled previously due to resistance and logistical hurdles encountered by the artisans hired for the operation.

The agency argued that taking apart the fixtures and pulling samples under specialist supervision was essential to calculate the true weight of the items and precisely measure the volume of gold cladding affixed to them.

Acquiescing to the request, the High Court stated it was convinced that the measure was required, given the current phase of the probe.

"Accordingly, we grant permission to the SIT to dismantle the Prabhamandalam plates and the upper-side door frame plate, collect samples therefrom with the assistance of experts, and forward the same to the laboratory for analysis, so that the truth of the matter may be fully and conclusively ascertained," the bench ruled.

Additionally, the SIT informed the court that its probe into the circumstances surrounding the extraction and subsequent disposal of the Dwarapalaka idol plates in 2025 has advanced to its concluding phases.

The investigative unit requested an extension until June 18 to brief the bench on subsequent breakthroughs, including the specific legal accountability and actions of the implicated individuals.

The SIT also stated that the broader inquiry is nearing its conclusion, indicating that the official final report could be submitted without protracted delays.

The court-mandated SIT is currently dissecting a pair of cases linked to the purported embezzlement of gold from both the Dwarapalaka idols and the Sreekovil door frames at the Sabarimala hill shrine.

As a consequence of the twin inquiries, the SIT had previously taken 12 individuals into custody.

However, because the complex investigation could not be finalised within the legally mandated 90-day window, all of the detained suspects were subsequently released on statutory bail.

With inputs from PTI