Kochi, Feb 19 (PTI) The SIT probing the alleged misappropriation of gold from Sabarimala on Thursday told the Kerala High Court that the final report can be filed before the jurisdictional court on or before March 31.
It made the submission before a bench of justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar based on the assurance by the National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur, that it will expeditiously test the samples collected from the Sabarimala artefacts and give a report at the earliest.
“In view of the said assurance, it is submitted (by the SIT) that the final report can be laid before the jurisdictional court on or before March 31, 2026,” the bench noted.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) told the High Court that it has collected a total of 36 samples in connection with the two cases of alleged misappropriation of gold from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and the door frames of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum).
It also informed the bench that the laboratory has agreed to undertake the examinations free of cost, considering their significance.
The team also told the High Court that the samples have been produced before the Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge (Vigilance), Kollam, for onward transmission to the National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur, for scientific examination.
The SIT further submitted that efforts are being made to obtain call data records from the mobile service providers in respect of the phones allegedly used by certain accused persons and their interactions.
It said that as more than two years have elapsed, issuance of appropriate directions to the mobile service providers, namely Vodafone Idea, Jio, BSNL, and Airtel, may be necessary to secure any available data that may disclose material particulars relating to the crime.
In view of the submission by the SIT, the court granted it permission to make the appropriate requests to the said mobile service providers.
“Upon receipt of such request, and subject to availability, the service providers shall endeavour to furnish the data to the Special Investigation Team,” the court said.
During the hearing, the government told the court that the Director, Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, Thiruvananthapuram, has appointed Hari C S, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, Special Investigation Unit-I, Thiruvananthapuram, to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the allegations of irregularities in the misappropriation of gold connected with the temple flag mast at Sabarimala.
“The names of the officers appointed to assist the head of the Investigation Team have also been furnished. It is stated that a report regarding the inquiry shall be submitted within a period of 30 days,” the court noted and listed the matter for further hearing on March 26.
On February 9, the SIT had told the court that samples of artefacts collected from the hill shrine would be sent to specialised agencies, including the BARC in Mumbai, for scientific analysis.
It had claimed that advanced scientific analysis was indispensable to establish, with precision and objectivity, the extent of material alteration, the nature of metallurgical manipulation, and the quantum of gold originally present and subsequently depleted.
It had proposed to conduct X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF) to determine surface elemental composition, Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) for ultra-trace impurity and elemental profiling, and Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) to analyse alloy composition and metallurgical uniformity.
The SIT had told the court that it would be approaching premier national research institutions and laboratories, including the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, the National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur, and the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory, Hyderabad, to undertake these specialised tests. PTI HMP KH
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