Are old plates still safe? SIT submits report with answers to questions about Sabarimala gold robbery

KOLLAM: The special investigation team has submitted a crucial scientific test report in the Sabarimala gold robbery case to the Kollam Vigilance Court. This is the test result of 15 samples including the Dwarapalaka sculpture and Kattilapali. The test report submitted to the court was an analysis report conducted at VSSC. The test results will be crucial in determining how much gold was stolen from the plates that were moved in 2019. The report was submitted in a sealed cover.

The test results of the gold-plated copper plates have also been handed over. Were the plates changed? Was the gold plated on new plates? Are the old plates still safe? The answers to questions like these will become clear once the test results are released.

Meanwhile, Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru, who was arrested in the Sabarimala gold theft case, is in more trouble. An order has revealed, indicating that the objects including Vaji Vahanam do not belong to the Tantri. This order was issued by N Vasu, who was the commissioner of the board in 2012. It has reached all offices as a circular.

The order states that the old items should be kept as the property of the temple while installing new items. The order makes it clear that the old items will remain as the properties of Devaswom itself. It was while this order was still in effect that the Vaji Vahanam, which was on the flagpole, was handed over to Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru by the then Devaswom Board President and Congress leader Prayar Gopalakrishnan and board member Ajay Tharayul. Devaswom officials also witnessed this.