4 months ago
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The Kerala High Court-appointed peculiar probe squad (SIT) probing the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple golden theft lawsuit carried retired an on-site forensic inspection astatine the temple connected Tuesday.
Officials said the SIT appeared to beryllium expanding the scope of its probe pursuing the High Court’s denotation that the probe findings truthful acold revealed an entrenched and organised signifier of pilferage, and that the 2019 offence mightiness not beryllium a one-off felony arsenic initially assumed, but portion of a bid going backmost decades.
The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre’s (VSSC) uncovering that the gilded panels encasing the chromatic carvings, sculptures, and doorway frames of the sanctum sanctorum varied metallurgically from the archetypal gilded panels donated to the temple by industrialist Vijay Mallya successful 1998 has reportedly fixed the SIT probe a caller direction.
The SIT, quoting the VSSC’s trial report, had told the High Court that the panels returned to the temple aft restoration by the premier accused, Unnkrishnan Potti, showed a antithetic molecular operation comprising nickel and synthetic resins than the archetypal gold-plated copper panels.
Moreover, officials said the archetypal gilded panels contained mercury, which was drastically little successful the molecular operation of those returned to the temple aft refurbishment astatine Smart Creations successful Ambattur, Chennai, the aforesaid year. The VSSC besides noted that the panels contained a precocious quantity of a shiny nickel-based polymer commonly utilized successful vigor shielding.
Officials said the VSSC’s findings had prompted the SIT to fishy systematic fraud, perchance including the replication of the panels to thenar disconnected the originals to affluent collectors arsenic ineffable artefacts. They said the SIT mightiness inventory the temple’s strongroom for missing artefacts and instrumentality further archetypal panels for investigating to find whether the racket was much widespread.
So far, the SIT has examined 202 witnesses and recorded their statements.
Officials said the SIT was required to verify further reports, including metallurgical evaluations submitted by Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) appraisers successful 1988 and beyond to fathom the extent and scope of the suspected racket centred astir the Ayyappa temple, allegedly involving officials, backstage sponsors, agents, jewellers, celebrities and restoration centres.
SIT main investigating serviceman S. Sasidharan led the squad to the Sannidhanam. Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order and Crime Branch, H. Venkatesh, is supervising the probe.
