Thiruvananthapuram, Feb. 12 -- The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged loss of gold from artefacts at the Sabarimala temple reached the hill shrine on Thursday to collect fresh samples as part of ongoing scientific analysis.

The team, led by Superintendent of Police (SP) S Sasidharan, arrived at Pampa, the base camp, in the morning and proceeded to Sannidhanam by afternoon. The move follows the Kerala High Court's approval on Monday to collect new samples for examination.

As per the temple schedule, Sabarimala will open for the monthly pooja at 5 pm on Thursday and close on February 17 at 10 pm. The SIT is expected to collect the samples after the temple closes for the day, following completion of various poojas at the ...