The Kerala High Court today ordered the establishment of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into alleged improprieties concerning the diminished weight of the gold-plated copper plates of the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols at Sabarimala. A bench comprising Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and KV Jayakumar instructed the constitution of the SIT following the submission of an interim report by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) Vigilance team on its preliminary inquiry into the matter.
The court had earlier directed the TDB vigilance team to investigate the reduced weight of the Dwarapalakas after they were sent to a Chennai-based firm for electroplating, a service which was sponsored by businessman Unnikrishnan Potty in 2019.
The SIT is to be led by Superintendent of Police S Sasidharan, with its operation overseen by Crime Branch head, Additional Director General of Police H Venketesh. Officials from the Cyber Police have also been included in the unit.
Government sources indicated that the state government suggested the names of the officers for the SIT to the Kerala High Court. Sasidharan was chosen due to his strong record in investigating intricate criminal cases, including the 2022 Elanthoor human sacrifice case.
The High Court mandated that the investigation must be conducted confidentially and that reports are to be submitted directly to the court.
In a related move last week, the court had ordered a comprehensive inventory of all valuables, including gold, at the Sabarimala temple, to be conducted under the supervision of retired Justice KT Sankaran.
As part of the earlier probe, TDB Vigilance had questioned Potty for two days before filing the report with the court. Meanwhile, Devaswom Minister VN Vasavan welcomed the Kerala High Court's decision to set up the SIT to investigate the incident.
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