The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Sabarimala gold theft case is set to submit its comprehensive report before the Kerala High Court on Monday, in line with the deadline fixed by the court.
The report is expected to detail the alleged involvement of the accused in the removal and transportation of the Dwarapalaka idols and gold-plated copper plates in 2025. It will also outline the role of the officials and employees concerned and indicate the timeline for filing the final charge sheet before the jurisdictional court.
As part of the investigation, the SIT recently recorded statements from officials of the National Metallurgical Laboratory (NML) in Jamshedpur, which conducted a scientific examination of samples collected from artefacts in and around the sanctum sanctorum of the Sabarimala temple.
The samples from the gold-plated and gold-clad copper plates were sent to the NML on March 3, with the laboratory submitting its findings on May 29. According to the SIT, the report, read together with the findings of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), provides a detailed understanding of the method used to execute the alleged theft.
A copy of the NML report has already been submitted before the High Court, which observed that the scientific findings would play a crucial role in establishing how the gold pilferage was carried out 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 Sabarimala Executive Officer's office containing temple records, along with a 2 TB hard disk storing data from 2018–19. The storage devices have been sent to the Kerala State Forensic Science Laboratory for forensic examination as the probe nears its final stage.
