The Special Investigation Team (SIT), appointed by the Kerala High Court to probe the alleged misappropriation of gold-plated copper moulds covering the stone carvings and sculptures at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple took the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potti, to Bengaluru as part of the ongoing evidence collection process on Friday.
The Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Ranni had granted the SIT custody of the accused until October 30 for evidence collection.
According to the investigators, Mr. Potti, who served as the assistant to a priest appointed by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) at Sabarimala, had received the gold-cladded plates of the Dwarapalakas, for electroplating in 2019. He allegedly transported these plates to various temples and other places across south India without authorisation.
After the electroplating work was completed at a Chennai-based firm, Mr. Potti is suspected to have displayed the gold-plated plates at multiple locations in Chennai, Bengaluru and Kerala.
The SIT had arrested former Sabarimala administrative officer Murari Babu in connection with the case a day ago. He was arraigned as an accused based on a TDB Vigilance inquiry.
Published – October 24, 2025 07:43 pm IST
