Pathanamthitta: Amid the ongoing probe into the Sabarimala gold scam, officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) have allegedly refused to cooperate with the Special Investigation Team (SIT), as the inquiry trail reportedly leads to higher levels of the Board’s administration.

Despite repeated requests, the TDB has yet to hand over key documents related to the gold covering of the sanctum sanctorum of the Sabarimala temple, a project undertaken by the UB Group under the then chairmanship of Vijay Mallya in 1998-99. Earlier, the Kerala High Court had directed the Devaswom Vigilance to seize all records dating back to 1998 as part of its investigation into the misappropriation of gold from the temple.

During its initial probe, the Devaswom Vigilance had accessed several relevant files and obtained correspondence between the Board and the UB Group regarding the gold-covering works. Based on this evidence, the Vigilance team was able to determine the exact quantity of gold used to cover the temple's doors, door frames, and the Dwarapalaka idols. These findings were later shared with the SIT.

It was based on this evidence that the Devaswom Board's administrative council of 2019 was arraigned as accused in the case. However, as the investigation began to close in on top-level administration, the Board resorted to delaying tactics and withheld crucial files vital to the probe.

During that period, a separate project division functioned within the Devaswom Works Department, headed by a Chief Engineer, a Divisional Engineer, and an Assistant Engineer. In fact, the department used to operate with two wings, headed by the Chief Engineer (General) and the Chief Engineer (Project). These were later merged into a single division, and officials are now citing this administrative restructuring as the reason for the 'missing' files.

Even after repeated warnings from the SIT about legal action, the TDB officials have not shown any sign of cooperation. The SIT is now planning to inform the High Court about the deliberate delay.

Gold covering undertaken by Vijay Mallya
When the sanctum sanctorum of Sabarimala was covered with gold under the sponsorship of Vijay Mallya, the work was executed under the supervision of the Devaswom Works Department. A team of 53 goldsmiths, led by Nagraj, owner of JNR Jewellery in Mylapore in Chennai, carried out the intricate work at the Devaswom Works Complex.

According to records, 30.3 kilograms of gold and 1,900 kilograms of copper were used for the gold plating, which covered the sanctum's roof, walls and sculptures.