Sabarimala gold scam: SIT to submit comprehensive report before Kerala High Court today

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Sabarimala gold theft case is expected to submit its comprehensive report before the Kerala High Court on Monday, the deadline fixed by the court. The report is believed to detail the accused's involvement in the removal and transport of the Dwarapalaka idols and gold-plated copper plates in 2025. It will also outline the role of the officials and employees concerned and specify the timeframe for filing the final report before the jurisdictional court. As part of the ongoing investigation, the SIT recently sought statements from officials of the National Metallurgical Laboratory (NML), Jamshedpur, who carried out the scientific analysis of samples collected from various artefacts in and around the sanctum sanctorum of the Sabarimala temple. The samples relating to the gold-plated/gold-clad copper plates were sent to the NML on March 3, and the laboratory submitted its report on May 29. According to the SIT, the findings are highly comprehensive and, when read along with the report submitted by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), provide a clear understanding of the methodology adopted in the pilferage and the manner in which the offence was carried out. A copy of the NML report has been placed before the High Court. The High Court observed that the NML report would significantly aid in establishing how the gold pilferage was executed at Sannidhanam. So far, the SIT has examined at least 408 witnesses and recorded their statements. Investigators have also seized two 1 TB hard disks from the office of the Executive Officer, Sabarimala, containing temple-related records, along with a 2 TB hard disk storing data from 2018–19. The devices have been sent to the Kerala State Forensic Science Laboratory for examination. In a recent development, the SIT dismantled the Prabhamandalam plates and the upper door-frame plate of the Sabarimala temple with the assistance of experts to collect samples. These samples have also been sent for scientific analysis as part of the investigation.