The Kerala High Court on Thursday permitted the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to carry out a series of scientific examinations at the Sabarimala temple as part of its investigation into the reported loss of gold from the shrine.
A division bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan and K V Jayakumar granted the team approval to conduct the tests on November 17. The permission follows an earlier request by the SIT seeking leave to examine the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols to assess the suspected gold loss first reported in 2019.
The bench had previously directed the investigators to weigh the Dwarapalaka idol plates and the side pillar plates. The SIT was also instructed to extract a sample of the gold cladding to evaluate the purity and quality of the plating, measure the surface area of the plates, and collect copper samples from both the Dwarapalaka plates and the door frames.
According to the court’s earlier order, these samples must undergo a range of scientific tests, including electrical conductivity analysis, spectroscopic examination, and microstructure studies.
The SIT had originally been asked to complete the testing process by November 15. With Thursday’s order, the team has been allowed to proceed with the examinations on November 17.
