Sabarimala: Court Permits Fresh Sample Collection; Gold Was Separated Using Stripping Salt
Kochi: The Kerala High Court has granted permission to collect samples from the golden panels of the halo and the upper portion of the sanctum sanctorum door at the Sabarimala temple as part of the ongoing investigation into the alleged Sabarimala gold theft case.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) informed the court that scientific testing of these samples is essential to determine the extent of gold used in the sanctum sanctorum. Acting on this submission, a Division Bench comprising Justice V. Raja Vijayaraghavan and Justice K.V. Jayakumar authorized the collection of samples for scientific examination.
The court was considering a suo motu petition related to the Sabarimala gold theft case. The SIT informed the bench that the investigation is in its final stages and that a final report will be submitted soon.
According to the SIT, investigations have revealed that gold was removed from gold-plated sheets delivered to Smart Creations in 2019 using a special chemical known as “stripping salt,” which was procured from Mumbai. Samples of the chemical have been sent to the National Metallurgical Laboratory (NML) in Jamshedpur for analysis.
The SIT also stated that details regarding the purchase of copper sheets in 1998 have been obtained, and further investigation will be conducted in Chennai. The probe into the removal of the Dwarapalaka sculptures for gold-plating last year is also nearing completion. Officials said that the role of each individual involved and the offences committed would become clearer when the matter is reviewed again.
Copies of the test reports from samples previously collected from the sanctum sanctorum and analyzed at the National Metallurgical Laboratory in Jamshedpur have also been submitted before the court. The SIT noted that when these findings are read together with an earlier report prepared by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, a clearer picture emerges regarding what transpired in the case.
The High Court has scheduled the matter for further consideration on June 18.