Sabarimala Gold Theft Case: Kerala HC Grants SIT Six-Week Extension
KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Monday said the special investigation team (SIT) probing the Sabarimala gold theft case has secured crucial records related to the gold cladding work carried out in 1998 by the UB Group. The SIT informed the court that statements from 181 witnesses have been recorded so far.
After examining the status report, the court expressed satisfaction with the progress of the investigation, noting that it was being conducted in a professional and thorough manner. The court granted the SIT an additional six weeks to complete the probe.
The SIT explained that the events under investigation span from 1998, when the initial gold cladding was done, to September 2025, when the dwarapalaka sculptures were sent for gold plating. The investigation has been divided into four phases.
The first phase relates to the gold cladding of various adornments and artefacts in and around the sanctum sanctorum of the Sabarimala temple. The second phase concerns the replacement of the old gold-clad door of the sreekovil with a new gold-plated door in 2019. The third phase deals with the removal of gold-clad plates from the dwarapalaka idols, side panels, and door frames in 2019. The fourth phase covers transactions related to the gold plating of the dwarapalaka idol plates in 2025.
The court clarified that the current focus on two registered cases does not mean that other phases will escape scrutiny. It directed the SIT to continue the investigation meticulously and fearlessly, without being influenced by external pressures or extraneous considerations.
The SIT has collected documents to assess whether the accused possess assets disproportionate to their known sources of income. Samples from the original plates at Sannidhanam have been taken to determine the quantity of gold used in 1998 and to verify whether the original plates were replaced. Scientific tests are being conducted at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).
Mobile phones of the accused have been seized for forensic examination, and bank account details linked to suspicious transactions are being analysed. The SIT is also comparing handwriting and signatures in disputed documents and investigating how and from where the gold-clad plates were removed. Investigations have been carried out outside the state to gather relevant evidence.
The SIT also reported that it is being subjected to unwarranted pressure through misleading, speculative, and unfounded reports aired by sections of mainstream media as well as social media platforms. Certain narratives, it said, appear to have been deliberately crafted, making baseless imputations against the investigating officers for the sake of sensationalism and optics, without regard to the factual matrix or the progress of the investigation.
“The truth can only be unearthed through diligence, objectivity, and lawful procedure rather than haste or sensationalism,” the court said, adding that investigations should not be reduced to speculation or public perception based on incomplete facts.