The Kerala High Court on Monday granted permission to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged Sabarimala temple gold loot to collect fresh samples from the gold-plated panels at the shrine and conduct further scientific examinations to ascertain alterations made to the gold ornaments at the Sannidhanam.
The tests will be conducted at the National Laboratory under the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). The objective is to determine whether the original gold-plated layers from Sabarimala were replaced with new ones after allegedly being sold to international smuggling networks. The court directed that 12 samples be collected from the temple on February 12.
Although the SIT has received the final report of the earlier examination conducted by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), the findings did not conclusively establish whether the original gold-plated copper sheets were entirely removed and substituted with new layers. In this backdrop, the SIT sought permission from the High Court for fresh sampling and advanced scientific testing to obtain greater clarity on the alleged tampering.
The High Court also permitted the SIT to collect phone call records of the accused dating back to 2019 as part of the investigation. Call data from two mobile phones belonging to the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potty, will be compared with those of other accused persons. The court further allowed handwriting examination of the accused and directed a deeper probe into the involvement of four individuals linked to the case.
Separately, the High Court ordered a vigilance fast-track investigation into irregularities related to the installation of the golden flagpole at Sabarimala. Acting on a report submitted by the SIT, the court directed the Vigilance Department to probe the replacement of the temple’s flagpole in 2017, during the tenure of then Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president Prayar Gopalakrishnan.
The old flagpole was reportedly replaced on the grounds that its base had been damaged. However, the base is constructed of concrete, and video footage relating to the issue has since surfaced.
Earlier, footage had also emerged showing then TDB president Prayar Gopalakrishnan and Devaswom Board member Ajay Tharayil handing over the ‘Vaji Vahanam’ (horse effigy), a component of the flagpole, to Thantri Kantararu Rajeevaru.
The SIT later recovered the ‘Vaji Vahanam’ during a raid at the residence of Thantri Rajeevaru in Chengannur. The seized artefact was subsequently produced before the Kollam Vigilance Court. The ancient sculpture, made of approximately 11 kg of Panchaloham and gold-plated, is considered a significant ceremonial object of the temple.