You can expect the High Court to make a move later today in this case, which has been steered by the kind of science-backed proof and a wide-ranging witness trail that makes for a turning point. The SIT’s status report is on the bench, and it puts a fine point on the 2025 removal of some of the temple’s most hallowed items.
High Court order and why it matters
This isn’t your average progress update from the SIT. It lays out how the pilferage is said to have happened and who was involved at every turn. The court has made note of the fact that the science can be an asset in nailing down exactly what went on at Sannidhanam.
It comes down to more than just holding people to account for a job the investigators call sophisticated; it’s about the public's faith in the way the temple is run. The SIT has given us a sense of when they will be done with their work and put in their final report with the proper court.
Science-led probe: what investigators found
Some men from the National Metallurgical Laboratory in Jamshedpur have been over the samples from the gold-plated and clad copper plates and have put in their statements with the SIT. Per the status report, the NML sent in its report on May 29 after we had the samples off to them on March 3.
Put side by side with a file from the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, the NML’s work shows you the method they think was used to get the gold off the artefacts. The High Court has a copy and has remarked that this kind of analysis is a big help to the inquiry.
Key developments in the SIT report:
– NML report in on May 29th
– Samples went out on March 3rd
– 408 witnesses have been put on record
– We’ve taken in two 1 TB and one 2 TB disks
Fresh sampling at the temple
The team has been at the temple with some technical support to take apart the Prabhamandalam and upper door-frame plates. They are sending in new material for a look-see as they try to put the pieces of the story back together and see who is responsible for what.
Witness accounts and the digital trail
So far the SIT has been through 408 witnesses to build out a detailed picture of the day in question. On top of the words of those we’ve spoken to, we have in our possession two 1 TB hard drives from the Executive Officer’s office at Sabarimala and a 2 TB one with files from 2018-19.
They’re all with the Kerala State Forensic Science Laboratory to be pored over. When you line up the digital records with the lab work and what the witnesses have to say, it confirms the kind of access and movement tied to the offence.
Alleged operation and next steps
The SIT has told the court what it believes transpired in 2025 with the Dwarapalaka idols and the copper plates. The report is clear on who it is that made the different parts of the operation possible, be it for access or for moving things around.
We have let the court know when we figure we can put this to rest. The plan is to have the final report in front of the jurisdictional court in due course. In the meantime, we are still relying on the science of the new samples we have on hand.
Context around Sabarimala
Back in September 2018, a five-judge Constitution bench in a 4:1 ruling did away with the bar on women between 10 and 50 coming into the Ayyappa temple. It has nothing to do with the theft, but it is a reminder of how much in the way of legal and institutional eyes are on Sabarimala.
Now it is up to the court and whatever the SIT has left to test. Whether you are a devotee or an administrator, you can see how a mix of metallurgy, space-science and forensics is being used to put this delicate case in order.
