Thiruvananthapuram | The Kerala government on Thursday issued an order constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe alleged irregularities related to the reduced weight of the gold-clad copper plates on the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols at Sabarimala.
The SIT was formed in compliance with the Kerala High Court’s direction issued on Monday.
According to the Home Department order, the team will be headed by H Venkatesh, ADGP (Crime Branch and Law and Order), and will investigate all aspects related to the removal of the gold-clad copper covering of the Dwarapalaka idols located on either side of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) of the Sabarimala temple.
"The investigation shall be carried out by S Sasidharan, Assistant Director (Administration), KEPA, Thrissur, under the supervision of the ADGP," the order said.
Other officers in the SIT include Aneesh, Inspector of Police, Vakathanam; Biju Radhakrishnan, Inspector of Police, Kaippamangalam; and Sunil Kumar, Assistant Sub-Inspector, Thiruvananthapuram Cyber Police.
The SIT has been directed to comply with all instructions issued by the High Court.
A bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar on Monday directed the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) Chief Vigilance and Security Officer to file a report on Friday, following which the SIT will begin its probe.
Earlier, the TDB Chief Vigilance and Security Officer conducted a preliminary investigation as per the court’s directive regarding the reduced weight of the Dwarapalakas after they were sent to a Chennai-based firm, Smart Creation, for electroplating in 2019.
The work was sponsored by businessman Unnikrishnan Potty.
