A special investigation team (SIT), formed by the Kerala High Court, recently convened a crucial meeting in Thiruvananthapuram. This meeting signals that their investigation into the alleged theft of gold-plated artifacts from the sacred Sabarimala Ayyappa temple is drawing closer to several high-ranking individuals. Among those under increasing scrutiny are current and former officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), including two former TDB presidents who were political appointments.
Sources close to the investigation confirmed that H. Venkatesh, the Additional Director General of Police for Crime Branch and Law and Order, led this confidential meeting. The primary objective was reportedly to strategize the next critical steps in the probe, which could involve more arrests and the seizure of significant evidence related to the case.
This discreet gathering at the Thiruvananthapuram Crime Branch office gains particular importance following the recent arrest of Unnikrishnan Potti. Potti, a former temple helper known for his influential social connections, had volunteered in 2019 to refurbish the gilded panels on the temple’s stone carvings and sculptures, reportedly with support from affluent donors.
The SIT has also taken into custody Murari Babu, a current TDB official. The team alleges that Babu, while serving as temple administrator, deliberately and deceitfully mislabeled the authentic gold-plated claddings as pure copper. This reclassification allegedly occurred before the valuable items were handed over to Potti for restoration work.
According to the SIT, an internal audit conducted by the TDB Vigilance wing revealed alarming discrepancies. The gilded panels returned by Potti after 40 days in his care were found to be significantly lighter and contained considerably less gold than the original artifacts. These precious items were initially donated to the temple by industrialist Vijay Mallya in 1998.
The SIT had requested extended custody of Potti for additional interrogation. As part of their investigation, he was taken to a metalworks factory in Chennai, which he had allegedly hired to refinish the gold-plated copper cladding.
Sources indicate that the SIT is exploring whether Potti might have melted down the gilded metal molds at the factory to extract their gold content. It’s suspected he then sold this extracted gold to a jeweler in Bengaluru, potentially hiding the origin of the precious metal. While neither the factory owner nor the jeweler has been named as an accused yet, the SIT has recorded their statements and thoroughly inspected their properties.
Furthermore, the SIT accompanied Potti on trips to Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai. The goal was to track the movements of the gold-plated coverings, which the accused is alleged to have leased to wealthy Ayyappa devotees—including prominent film stars and industrialists—for private rituals, reportedly in exchange for substantial illegal payments.
The investigation also seeks to determine if Potti, in collaboration with other suspects, created duplicates of the gilded casts and sold the authentic originals to a wealthy private collector for personal worship.
Following 14 days in police custody, Potti was brought before the Ranni magistrate’s court and subsequently remanded to the Thiruvananthapuram District Sub Jail.