The Kerala High Court on Tuesday granted the Special Investigation Team (SIT) a crucial two-week extension to complete its ongoing probe into the alleged misappropriation of gold from the sacred artefacts of the famous Sabarimala temple.
The decision comes as investigators await a highly anticipated scientific analysis report from the National Metallurgical Laboratory (NML) in Jamshedpur, which is expected to reveal whether valuable gold-clad plates were systematically swapped or diluted.
The Crucial Forensic Link
A division bench comprising Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar agreed to extend the timeline after the SIT explained that its final conclusions hinge entirely on the scientific analysis of approximately 36 gold samples extracted from the temple’s historical artefacts.
According to the investigation team, the NML has indicated that the final report will be ready within the next 10 days. The specialized metallurgical tests required to assess the purity and composition of the samples are highly complex and time-consuming, preventing a swifter delivery.
Without these forensic findings, the SIT cannot legally progress with its prosecution. The High Court bench emphasized this technical dependency, noting:
“It is only upon receipt of the said report that the investigating agency will be in a position to conclusively ascertain the exact nature and extent of gold plating on the gold-cladded plates, the quantity of gold involved, and whether any substitution or swapping of copper plates had taken place.”
Determining Criminal Complicity
The scope of the investigation is centered on the potential theft and manipulation of gold from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) door frames at the hill shrine.
The court pointed out that identifying the specific individuals responsible for the removal or tampering of the gold-clad copper plates is impossible without the NML’s objective data. Furthermore, filing fresh criminal cases against suspects is entirely on hold until the laboratory’s report confirms that misappropriation did indeed occur.
“We are therefore satisfied that the report from the National Metallurgical Laboratory is indispensable for a complete understanding of the facts under investigation and for fixing liability,” the bench observed, justifying the decision to grant the SIT an additional fortnight to wrap up its work.
Background of the Probe
The SIT was specifically constituted by the High Court to investigate allegations of missing gold and unauthorized alterations to the temple’s sanctum sanctorum and deity ornaments.
This is the second major deadline extension granted to the investigation team. In an earlier order issued on March 26, the High Court had extended the probe’s deadline to May 18, also due to delays in securing the metallurgical analysis. With the laboratory report now in its final stages, this latest extension is expected to provide the definitive evidence needed to resolve the high-profile temple scandal.
