Kochi | The Kerala High Court on Thursday gave one final opportunity to the SIT probing the Sabarimala gold loss cases to submit its comprehensive report on who all were involved in it and to give a specific time frame within which the chargesheet would be filed.

A bench of justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar said that sufficient time has already been granted to carry the investigation forward and bring it to its logical conclusion, and "the proceedings cannot be permitted to linger indefinitely".

It gave the Special Investigation Team (SIT) time till June 29 to place before the court a comprehensive report stating "the involvement of the accused persons in connection with the removal and transportation of the Dwarapalaka idols and plates in 2025, the role played by the officials and employees concerned, and the specific time frame within which the final report is proposed to be laid before the jurisdictional court".

The bench made it clear that the investigation should proceed with the "utmost diligence and seriousness" and conclude without any further undue delay.

"The interests of justice demand that the investigation be concluded within a reasonable timeframe and with due expedition," it added and listed the matter for further hearing on June 29.

During the hearing, the SIT told the bench that the aspect of criminal conspiracy and the larger circumstances surrounding the transaction are presently under investigation.

It also told the court that it was examining the role played by certain officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) who were holding responsible positions at the Sabarimala temple during the relevant period to ascertain if they were directly or indirectly involved in arriving at the decision to remove and transport the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and plates to Chennai for gold-plating.

The court also noted that after the receipt of the analysis report of the gold samples collected from the artefacts, from the National Metallurgical Laboratory and on the basis of the scientific inputs, the focus of the probe was directed towards the transactions connected with the gold-plating of the Dwarapalaka idols in 2025.

"The records seized by the SIT disclose a clear sequence of events leading to the removal of the Dwarapalaka idols from the Sannidhanam.

"The Investigating Officer has informed us that substantial and convincing materials have already been gathered indicating the involvement of the accused persons in the transactions," the bench noted.

The SIT, constituted under the directions of the Kerala High Court, is probing two cases relating to the alleged loss of gold from the Dwarapalaka idols and the door frames of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) at the Sabarimala temple.