The Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the Sabarimala gold theft has formally arrested Unnikrishnan Potti, the primary suspect, in a second related case. This new arrest concerns the alleged theft of gold from the Ayyappa temple’s door frames, and occurred on Monday, November 3, 2025.
Potti was brought before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Ranni, where the SIT requested his custody. Following this, the arrest was officially recorded, and the court granted the team seven days to interrogate the accused.
Prior to this, Potti had already been arrested by the SIT in connection with the alleged theft of gold from the Dwarapalaka idols. As part of their comprehensive inquiry, the investigation team has also collected statements from individuals identified as Kalpesh, Vasudevan, Govardhan, and Pankaj Bhandari, the Chief Executive Officer of Smart Creations. Sources indicate that these individuals may be recalled for further questioning as the case progresses.
Adding another layer to the investigation, the SIT recently interrogated N. Vasu, the former president of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), on Sunday. This questioning follows the earlier arrest of Sudheesh Kumar, who previously served as the Executive Officer of Sabarimala.
During his time as TDB president, Mr. Vasu had received a letter from Potti inquiring about the disposal of leftover gold in Potti’s possession. Mr. Vasu has maintained that he forwarded this letter to the Thiruvabharanam Commissioner and the Sabarimala Executive Officer for appropriate action, claiming he did not follow up on the matter. However, the SIT suspects that Potti’s letter was a calculated attempt to destroy evidence and construct a misleading narrative. Based on Mr. Vasu’s testimony, the SIT intends to re-interrogate Sudheesh Kumar to clarify specific aspects pertinent to the case.