The Kerala High Court has granted two more weeks to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that has been probing the alleged misappropriation of gold from the Sabarimala temple, to complete the entire exercise. This followed the submission of a detailed report regarding the matter by S. Sasidharan, the investigating officer of the SIT, on Monday. In the report, the SIT has said that one of the principal reasons for the delay in completing the investigation is the non-receipt of the detailed analysis report from the National Metallurgical Laboratory (CSIR NML), Jamshedpur, where approximately 36 samples have been forwarded for scientific examination.

The tests being conducted include X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF) for determining the surface elemental composition, Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP MS) for ultra trace impurity and elemental profiling, and Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) for analysing alloy composition and metallurgical uniformity. These are highly specialised tests which require considerable time for completion.

The laboratory authorities informed the SIT that the final analysis report is expected to be furnished within a period of ten days. It is only upon receipt of the said report that the investigating agency will be in a position to conclusively ascertain the exact nature and extent of the gold plating carried out over the gold cladded plates, the quantity of gold involved, whether any substitution or swapping of copper plates had in fact taken place and other related matters, the SIT submitted before the HC.

Its report says that as on date, 391 witnesses have been questioned and their statements recorded. Following inspections, a detailed mahazar has been prepared regarding the various processes involved, including cleaning, buffing, gold plating, lacquer coating, packing and allied procedures. Moreover, the entire process has been video recorded as part of the investigation, while the analysis of the digital records and mobile phones seized in connection with the investigation, is in progress.

During the hearing, a Division Bench of Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and Justice K.V. Jayakumar observed that it has taken note of the submission that the results of such tests are absolutely essential for arriving at a proper and scientifically supported conclusion in the matter that is being probed.

Furthermore, it is only after receipt of the analysis report that the complicity and involvement of the various persons connected with the removal of the gold-cladded copper plates of the Dwarapalakas can be properly determined and the culpability of the persons concerned fixed. The registration of fresh crimes and the persons involved would also depend upon the outcome of the said report, it added, and granted two more weeks to complete the probe. The matter has been posted for hearing on June 8.