Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala High Court on Monday ordered the analysis of gold-coated plates at Sabarimala. Apart from this it also ordered a vigilance
probe in the construction of the temple flagstaff. The order is part of the ongoing Sabarimala gold theft case.
Samples will be sent to BARC
The officials will collect new samples, which will be sent to the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (ARC), Mumbai. Previously, the tests were carried out by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). Its report left several questions unresolved.
During the hearing, the court found that the VSSC did not provide clear answers, which prompted the decision for fresh testing. The test will be conducted to find out whether plates were altered in any way.
Clarifying that it was an interim order, the High Court asked the SIT to collect samples when the Sabarimala Temple reopens next week for the weekly puja. The High Court, while hearing the case, also called for a quick probe into the 2017 reconstruction of the Sabarimala temple flagstaff.
It was during the tenure of UDF-led Devaswom Board that the project was undertaken. At the time, the project was headed by late Prayar Gopalakrishnan, a former Congress MLA. Among the members were his party colleague Ajay Tharayil and CPI(M) leader Raghavan.
Lack of clearness over the receipt of gold as donations: Kerala HC
The High Court observed that there is lack of clearness over the receipt of gold as donations for the reconstruction. It added that there must be a clarity on the same. It further kept open the possibility of registering a separate case if needed.
The court had asked for the events from 1998 to 2025 be examined in four distinct phases. Notably, the old flagstaff was demolished in 2017 after which it was replaced with a new one. The ceremonial vehicle was handed over to Tantri Kandarar Rajeevar.
