Kochi/Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 6 (NationPress) The Kerala High Court has mandated the establishment of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the ongoing Sabarimala gold-plating issue. The court has ordered that the findings of this inquiry be submitted within a month, with a strict directive that the report remains confidential.

Leading the SIT will be ADGP H. Venkatesh, alongside a team of five members, marking a notable judicial intervention in this escalating temple dispute.

This directive from the High Court follows a review of the Devasom Vigilance report, which revealed concerning discrepancies in the gold quantities.

The controversy ignited heated debates in the Kerala Assembly on Monday, with the Congress-led Opposition vocally protesting the supposed disappearance of gold plates from the sanctum sanctorum of the Sabarimala temple.

Opposition members rallied in the well of the Assembly, brandishing banners and chanting slogans, which led Speaker A.N. Shamseer to suspend the Question Hour and temporarily adjourn proceedings. One banner read, “Ayyappan’s gold swallowed by temple officials,” resulting in intense exchanges between the Treasury and Opposition.

Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan claimed that part of the gold used for the temple’s golden covering was missing and called for the resignation of Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan, accusing the government of avoiding a comprehensive debate on the issue. When the Speaker attempted to resume the Question Hour, Opposition legislators encircled the chair, covered it with banners, and chanted “Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa,” insisting on a CBI investigation into what they termed a significant breach of public trust regarding the shrine.

Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal criticized the protests as undemocratic and disrespectful, while Speaker Shamseer urged for decorum.

Outside the Assembly, Satheesan reiterated their demands, which include a CBI probe into the gold issue and the resignations of both Minister Vasavan and the president of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB). In response to the controversy, Minister V.N. Vasavan welcomed the High Court’s decision, assuring that the government fully endorses the inquiry.

He stated that neither the government nor the Devaswom is implicated in the matter, stressing that their role is limited to providing support during the pilgrimage season. “The government does not take a single rupee from the Devaswom Board; it merely offers financial aid,” Vasavan clarified, adding that the Vigilance department is already investigating the situation.