The SIT also informed the court that the sabotage is clear from the documents themselves.
File Photo: ANI
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged gold theft in Sabarimala temple in its report to the Kerala High Court has claimed that the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) members and its employees worked for someone in the gold heist.
The SIT also informed the court that the sabotage is clear from the documents themselves.
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It is learnt that the SIT on Tuesday seized the minutes book of the TDB following directions from the High Court on Tuesday. The TDB had allegedly decided to hand over the gold-plated panels of the Dwarapalaka idols and the sanctum sanctorum door frames in 2019.
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The crucial documents were found during the SIT inspection. The SIT has clarified that the Devaswom Board was reluctant to hand over the documents and submitted it only after repeated requests.
It seems that the TDB and the government are in a tight spot after the High Court observed that the present board also tried to cover up the gold theft.
The course of the ongoing Sabarimala gold heist investigation may change as the court has directed that the probe should not be limited to the gold-plated panels of the Dwarapalaka idols and the sanctum sanctorum door frames, but should also cover the aspect of criminal conspiracy behind the Sabarimala gold scam.
The court directed the SIT to thoroughly investigate the aspect of criminal conspiracy in the Sabarimala gold scam. The court said that the chain of events commencing in 2019 and the subsequent entrustment of the Dwarapalaka idols to Unnikrishnan Potty appeared to be part of a larger and well-orchestrated scheme.
The court also directed the SIT to examine every facet of the matter and ascertain the role and complicity, if any, of each TDB officer, from the highest echelons downward.
“The higher officials of the Board cannot absolve themselves of responsibility or shift the blame onto subordinate officers, for each of them bore a collective duty to ensure that the sacred valuables of the deity were neither pilfered nor wasted,” the court said.
The High Court cited several reasons to suspect a larger conspiracy in the entrustment of Sabarimala gold-plating works.
It said while entrusting the Dwarapalakas and side frames to Potty, a person with dubious antecedents, the officials chose to disregard the TDB manual, which stipulated such repair shall be carried out within the Sannidhanam itself.
The court said the deputy Devaswom commissioner (finance inspection), acting on behalf of the Devaswom commissioner, had on June 28, 2019, sought to allow Potty to undertake gold-plating of the Dwarapalakas and copper plates. The board on July 3, 2019, granted permission, categorising them as “copper plates.” Subsequent orders reveal that despite the evident change in the colour of the peedams, Potty was again entrusted with gold-plating.
It said when fresh gold plating of the Dwarapalakas was advised after spotting damage, the officials handed those to Potty again. By failing to weigh the idols at the time of refixation, every Devaswom official bears responsibility, it said.
Meanwhile, TDB President PS Prashanth said that the Board had no role in the Sabarimala gold theft.
Speaking to a Malayalam news channel on Wednesday , Prasanth said that the officials had not informed him of anything. He said he had not given any instructions to hand over the Dwarapalaka sculptures to Unnikrishnan Potty. He further said that there was an error in the High Court order and that he would approach it to seek correction.
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