Overview
- The Kerala High Court, which ruled Thursday, accepted the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau’s preliminary findings and ordered closure of proceedings on the 2017 flag mast.
- Investigators reported a mismatch between 412.010 grams recorded and 300 grams verified yet found no evidence of criminal misappropriation or breach of trust.
- The report said gold reached the temple through official channels with receipts, and statements from 23 contributors matched Travancore Devaswom Board records.
- The court gave the Special Investigation Team more time because CSIR–National Metallurgical Laboratory expects lab results only in late April, and it posted the case for May 18.
- The ongoing probe covers samples from pillar plates and the Dwarapalaka idol plating and has examined 358 witnesses across Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, while Congress veteran Ajay Tharayil said the closure vindicated him but cost him a chance to contest the Assembly polls.