Sabarimala gold robbery case: VSSC report to determine next course of action

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kollam Vigilance Court has handed over a very crucial forensic examination report to the SIT. This report will determine the further course of the gold theft case, including whether the current gold plates in Sabarimala are original. The examination was conducted at the VSSC lab. The report, submitted in a sealed envelope, was handed over to the SIT by Judge Dr. CS Mohit without even opening it.

Investigating officer SP Sasidharan gave the report to Crime Branch ADGP H Venkatesh. Venkatesh will examine it and prepare a special report including the information and submit it to the High Court. Further action will be taken only after the Devaswom bench considers it.

If the report finds that the Sabarimala temple has new coatings, it will be crucial in the investigation. In that case, a special investigation will be required to find the original sculpture platings and the door frame. A CBI investigation is also possible. The looted gold has not been found yet.

The investigation team suspects that after smuggling the gold layers, a new mould was made, new layers were made in copper using it, gold-plated and returned. The High Court had also directed the SIT to investigate the possibilities of fraud in the ‘Subhash Kapoor model’ of international antiquities smuggling. The VSSC was then tasked with conducting a scientific examination.

15 samples tested

1. VSSC tested fifteen samples. The main focus was on the age of the layers
2. The amount of gold in them was also measured. The test results are crucial in determining how much gold was lost

Truth will be revealed

The SIT report submitted to the court states that 42.1 kg of the sculpture plates were brought to Chennai Smart Creations and the gold in them was extracted and made into bars using a chemical mixture. The truth of this will be clear in the VSSC inspection report.