The Kerala High Court on Monday granted the Special Investigation Team (SIT) an additional six weeks to complete its court-monitored investigation into the alleged removal of gold from the Dwarapalaka idols, temple structures, and fixtures at the Sabarimala shrine in Pathanamthitta district.
The Division Bench of Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice KV Jayakumar granted the extension on the grounds that the probe involved technical, forensic, and institutional dimensions requiring further time.
The investigating agency apprised the Court of the interim progress and the continuing complexity of the inquiry. The High Court then directed the SIT to place an interim status report on record by January 19, 2026, and posted the suo motu proceedings after two weeks for further consideration.
The proceedings were initiated by the High Court in exercise of its extraordinary writ jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution, following serious disclosures contained in a report submitted by a Court-appointed Special Commissioner. The report highlighted alleged procedural lapses and custodial irregularities in the handling of gold-clad copper sheets affixed to sacred structures within the temple precincts.
This marks the second extension granted to the SIT, after an earlier enlargement of one month was allowed in December. The Court has indicated that the investigation involves substantial factual depth, forensic and metallurgical examination, and heightened institutional sensitivity concerning assets of a public religious institution.
The High Court is understood to have examined investigation materials in a sealed-cover hearing, a measure adopted to protect the integrity of the ongoing probe and the confidentiality of sensitive evidence collected thus far. Such a course was considered necessary given the nature of the allegations.
The SIT, constituted pursuant to the Court’s directions in October 2025 and headed by an officer of the rank of Additional Director General of Police, is probing allegations relating to the removal and possible substitution of gold-clad copper sheets from the Dwarapalaka idols, the Peedam, and other fixtures within the Sabarimala temple complex. The investigation has continued through the Mandala season and is expected to extend beyond the Makaravilakku festival due to ongoing scientific examinations.
Earlier, on December 30, a Vacation Bench comprising Justice Ziyad Rahman A.A. and Justice M.B. Snehalatha permitted the induction of two additional officers of the rank of Circle Inspector into the SIT. The Court accepted submissions that the scale of the alleged irregularities, the inter-State dimensions of the inquiry, and the technical nature of the evidence warranted augmentation of investigative manpower.
The Special Commissioner’s report, which formed the basis of the suo motu action, had flagged serious departures from established protocol in the handling of temple assets. It noted that the removal of gold coverings was allegedly undertaken without prior judicial intimation or approval, raising concerns of custodial breach, procedural impropriety, and fiduciary failure.
The alleged acts are being examined from the standpoint of criminal liability, potentially attracting provisions relating to theft and criminal breach of trust under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. The inquiry also implicates statutory norms governing Devaswom administration and fiduciary accountability in the management of public religious endowments.
The scope of the investigation has extended beyond Kerala, with the SIT reportedly examining the role of external actors, including a Tamil Nadu-based idol trader, to trace the movement of temple property and identify potential beneficiaries of the alleged misappropriation.
The case has acquired significant public and political salience in the State, given the stature of the Sabarimala shrine and the involvement of office-bearers of statutory Devaswom bodies and political functionaries, several of whom remain in judicial custody. The High Court has reiterated that investigations involving public religious institutions require heightened procedural rigour and sustained judicial oversight.
On the next date of hearing, the Division Bench is expected to review compliance with its earlier directions and assess whether the investigation has progressed in accordance with constitutional mandates, statutory requirements, and evidentiary standards.
The post Kerala High Court extends SIT probe deadline by 6 weeks in Sabarimala gold theft case appeared first on India Legal.