Sabarimala gold ‘theft’: Samples to be handed over to National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur for scientific examination, Kerala HC told

Thirty-six samples collected by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) as part of the probe into the alleged misappropriation of gold from the Sabarimala temple have been produced before the Inquiry Commissioner and Special Judge (Vigilance), Kollam, and now will be taken to the National Metallurgical Laboratory in Jamshedpur for scientific examination, the investigating officer informed the Kerala High Court on Thursday (February 19).

The laboratory has intimated that the tests will be conducted expeditiously and that the results will be furnished at the earliest, free of cost, considering their significance.

Based on this, the final report on the alleged misappropriation of gold can be filed before the jurisdictional court on or before March 31, the officer submitted.

The SIT also informed the High Court that efforts were under way to obtain call data records from mobile service providers relating to the phones allegedly used by certain accused persons and their interactions.

As more than two years have elapsed, appropriate directives to the service providers may be necessary to secure any available data related to the crime, it said.

Taking note of the submission, a Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and Justice K.V. Jayakumar granted permission to the investigating officer to make appropriate requests to the mobile service providers.

Upon receipt of such requests, and subject to availability, the service providers shall endeavour to furnish the data to the SIT, the court directed.

The investigating officer further submitted that the analysis reports pertaining to the DVR data and call data records were still awaited. He added that the findings of the National Metallurgical Laboratory would form the very basis and fulcrum of the prosecution case.

On February 9, the High Court had observed that advanced forensic and metallurgical examination was essential to establish, in a clear, cogent and legally sustainable manner, the allegations of theft of gold from the Dwarapalakas and the temple door frames.

The court accordingly directed the SIT to undertake specialised scientific examinations, including X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy to determine surface elemental composition; inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for ultra-trace impurity and elemental profiling; and optical emission spectroscopy to analyse alloy composition and metallurgical uniformity.

Flag mast

The government also informed the High Court that, pursuant to its directives, the Director of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau had appointed Hari C.S., Deputy Superintendent of Police, SIU-I, Thiruvananthapuram, to conduct a preliminary inquiry into allegations of irregularities in connection with the misappropriation of gold linked to the temple flag mast at Sabarimala.

The names of the officers appointed to assist him have been furnished, and a report on the inquiry will be submitted within 30 days, it added. The matter has been posted for hearing on March 26.