The Kerala High Court on Friday prevented the arrest of S Jayasree, former secretary of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), in the Sabarimala gold theft case, ordering that she is not to be apprehended until November 18.
The Pathanamthitta District Court on Thursday had rejected the anticipatory-bail application submitted by Jayasree, who faces allegations of involvement in the suspected misappropriation of gold from the Sabarimala temple. Jayasree had sought relief from the court citing serious health concerns and asserting that the accusations levelled against her were unfounded. Following the rejection, she moved to the high court, which granted a halt to her arrest until Tuesday.
Moreover, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Crime Branch will conduct scientific tests at the Sabarimala temple on November 17 as part of its probe into the missing gold case. The Kerala High Court granted permission for the tests, which involve collecting samples from the gold-plated panels of the Dwarapalaka (gatekeeper) idols and the door frames of the sanctum sanctorum.
The SIT had earlier sought the Thantri’s (chief priest’s) permission to collect the samples as directed by the court. The chief priest informed officials that, as per temple rituals, Deva Anujna (divine permission) from the deity must be obtained before any scientific examination is carried out near the sanctum sanctorum.
Based on the Deva Anujna, which is due to be received on November 17th, the tests will be conducted after the Ucha Pooja and the temple's closure at 1 pm.
Earlier this month, the SIT had moved the court seeking approval to conduct scientific examinations of the Dwarapalaka idols to determine the extent of gold loss reported in 2019.
The court subsequently directed the team to weigh the Dwarapalaka idol plates and the side pillar plates, collect samples of the gold cladding to assess the purity and quality of the plating, measure the surface area of the plates, gather copper samples from the Dwarapalaka plates and door frames.
These samples, the court said, must undergo scientific analyses, including electrical conductivity tests, spectroscopic examinations, and microstructure studies.
The court had initially ordered the SIT to complete the tests before November 15. When the Thantri informed officials about the Deva Anujna requirement, a division bench comprising Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan and KV Jayakumar of the High Court permitted the SIT to conduct the examinations on November 17.
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