In a significant development in the ongoing Sabarimala gold theft case, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Saturday, October 18, 2025, carried out a thorough search at the ancestral residence of Unnikrishnan Potti, identified as the main accused.
Sources close to the investigation confirmed that the search operation took place at Mr. Potti’s family home in Karettu. The SIT’s remand report previously indicated that Mr. Potti was responsible for a breach of trust, having allegedly stolen two kilograms of gold from the sacred Sabarimala Ayyappa temple. A central unresolved question in the investigation remains the whereabouts of this stolen gold.
During questioning, Mr. Potti reportedly provided crucial information, implicating several officials from the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) in various irregularities at the revered Ayyappa temple. He further alleged that the plot to steal the gold was conceived and initiated around the time he applied to be a sponsor. He claimed that the process of smelting gold from idols and the temple’s door frames was an integral part of this elaborate scheme. Investigators are now working under the suspicion that the stolen gold was distributed among the conspirators.
Notices Issued and Further Custody Expected
As the investigation progresses, the SIT is preparing to take Murari Babu, a suspended administrative officer of the TDB and another key accused, into custody for further interrogation. Mr. Babu is alleged to have recorded a statement in the TDB Mahassar, falsely claiming that the gold-plated sheets on sculptures were merely copper, a move investigators believe was designed to facilitate the theft. The SIT has also begun the process of issuing questioning notices to other individuals named as accused in the case.
Two other individuals expected to be brought into custody soon are Kalpesh, a Bengaluru resident suspected of receiving the stolen gold from Mr. Potti, and Nagesh, the owner of a gold processing facility based in Hyderabad. Furthermore, the role of Chennai-based Smart Creations, the company responsible for repairs to the gold-clad sheets on the Dwarapalaka sculptures, is also under active scrutiny.
In a separate, related incident, the Ranni police on Saturday registered a case against Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sinu S. Panicker. This action followed an incident where Mr. Panicker threw a shoe at Mr. Potti as the accused was being transferred to a police vehicle after his appearance before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Ranni. The case against Mr. Panicker has been filed under Sections 131 and 118(a) of the Kerala Police Act.