The Kerala High Court on Monday, 18 May granted the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged misappropriation of gold from the Sabarimala temple an additional two weeks to complete its investigation, citing extensive scientific analysis still underway. The extension comes at a politically charged moment — hours after the new Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government was sworn into office, having made the scam a central plank of its Assembly poll campaign.

Why the Extension Was Granted

A division bench of Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and Justice K.V. Jayakumar granted the extension after the SIT, represented by investigating officer S. Sasidharan, placed a detailed status report before the court. The primary bottleneck, according to the SIT, is the pending scientific analysis report from the National Metallurgical Laboratory (CSIR-NML) in Jamshedpur, where approximately 36 samples have been sent for examination.

The laboratory is conducting highly specialised tests: X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF) to determine surface elemental composition, Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) for ultra-trace impurity and elemental profiling, and Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) to study alloy composition and metallurgical uniformity. The SIT told the court the final laboratory report is expected within ten days.

What Investigators Still Need to Determine

The SIT maintained that only after receiving the CSIR-NML findings will investigators be able to conclusively establish the exact nature and extent of gold plating carried out over the gold-cladded plates, the precise quantity of gold involved, and whether any substitution or swapping of copper plates had occurred. These findings will directly shape the registration of fresh cases and the identification of additional accused, the court observed.

So far, 391 witnesses have been questioned and their statements recorded. Investigators have also prepared a detailed mahazar documenting the processes involved in cleaning, buffing, gold plating, lacquer coating, and packing — all of which have been video recorded. Forensic analysis of seized mobile phones and digital records is also continuing in parallel.

Political Context: UDF's Campaign Centrepiece

The timing of the court hearing is notable. The Sabarimala gold scam was one of the most prominent issues raised by the UDF during the state Assembly elections, with Congress leaders repeatedly citing it as evidence of alleged corruption under the previous government. The new UDF administration assumed office on the same day the High Court granted the extension, adding a layer of political significance to the probe's trajectory.

This is the Sabarimala temple's second major controversy in recent years — the first being the prolonged legal and social battle over women's entry — underscoring the shrine's outsized position in Kerala's public life.

What Happens Next

The Kerala High Court has posted the matter for further hearing on 8 June. The SIT's ability to file a conclusive report will hinge on the CSIR-NML findings. The court has made clear that registration of fresh cases and culpability determinations await those scientific conclusions.