Kochi, March 26 (NationPress) In a pivotal ruling, the Kerala High Court on Thursday dismissed the case concerning alleged corruption and irregularities tied to the reconstruction of the golden flag mast at Sabarimala. This decision marks the conclusion of a controversy that sparked significant political and public discourse.

The court fully accepted the rapid verification report put forth by the Vigilance department, stating that no additional legal actions were necessary.

Affirming the Vigilance's conclusions, the court noted the absence of any substantial evidence to support claims of corruption regarding the flag mast reconstruction that occurred during the tenure of the Congress-led UDF government.

It determined that there were no grounds for criminal charges based on the existing documentation, effectively granting a clean slate to the then Travancore Devaswom Board.

The Vigilance report highlighted complete transparency in the management of gold contributed for the project.

A total of 412 grams of gold was donated by devotees and supporters for the reconstruction.

The investigation confirmed that all of the gold was accurately documented and utilized for crafting the Vaji Vahanam and the Ashtadikpalakas, showing no discrepancies in weight or application.

Statements from 23 individuals, including major contributors, were recorded and were found to align perfectly with the official records maintained by the Devaswom Board.

In total, 27 donors, including well-known figures such as Mohanlal, Ranjith Panicker, Priyadarshan, Shaji Kailas, and Suresh Gopi, contributed gold for the reconstruction.

The Vigilance informed the court that details of four donors were untraceable, yet this did not impact the overall accounting.

The report indicated that the donated gold was received by ASP Kurup, with official receipts issued by the Devaswom authorities, further affirming the process's integrity.

The court found no evidence of document tampering or misappropriation.

The report clarified that the decision to replace the flag mast was directed by the 2014 Deva Prasnam, with the reinstallation finalized in 2017, adhering to established ritual procedures.

The court remarked that there was nothing questionable about the process and that only traditional practices were followed.

Nevertheless, this ruling has shifted attention to a separate ongoing “gold smuggling” case associated with Sabarimala, where officials from the Left government era are being scrutinized for alleged diversion of gold from idols and temple structures.

The Special Investigation Team has informed the court that the final chargesheet in that case will be submitted only after the Assembly elections, citing the need for scientific evidence.

With the High Court’s decision now validating the UDF era project, political focus is anticipated to move towards the unresolved case, as both political factions and devotees remain observant of future developments.

In response to the clean chit, veteran Congress leader Ajay Tharayil, who served as a board member during that period, stated that he had consistently maintained that all actions adhered to regulations and expressed no concern regarding the issue.

"However, this issue arising led to my missed opportunity to contest the April Assembly elections," he lamented.