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Thiruvananthapuram Court Allows Polygraph Tests of Padmanabhaswamy Temple Staff in Gold Probe

The tests require voluntary written consent with statements recorded before a magistrate.

Overview

  • Police won court approval to conduct lie-detector tests as they examine the disappearance and recovery of a 13-sovereign gold rod reported missing in May.
  • Reports differ on the scope of testing, with one account citing six employees and another stating at least 10 staff members.
  • Investigators earlier found the missing rod, and later some gold bars, buried in sand within the temple premises, including near the northern entrance about 30 metres from the strong room.
  • Officers have reviewed surveillance footage, though a camera near the strong room was not functioning, and forensic steps are continuing.
  • Results of polygraph examinations are not admissible as direct evidence but are intended to clarify accounts as police assess whether the loss was theft, misplacement, or concealment during repairs.