The Travancore Devaswom Board’s (TDB) Vigilance team has intensified its investigation, interrogating priest Unnikrishnan Potti for a second day. The probe centers on serious allegations of misappropriation and suspected unauthorized use of sacred Sabarimala Ayyappa temple artifacts for private rituals at the homes of prominent figures and entrepreneurs across Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.
This complex case dates back to 2019, when the TDB entrusted Mr. Potti, a priest with notable connections who sometimes served at the Sabarimala temple, with the crucial task of restoring the temple’s revered gold-plated overlays. These intricate panels, covering the Ayyappa shrine’s stone carvings and sculptures, were originally a generous donation from business magnate Vijay Mallya in 1998, crafted from 38 kilograms of gold and additional copper. Mr. Potti then transported these precious artifacts to a restoration facility in Chennai.
A significant development in the ongoing Vigilance inquiry was the recent discovery of two ‘gold-plated coverings,’ previously reported missing from Sabarimala, found at Mr. Potti’s sister’s residence in Thiruvananthapuram.
Investigators have also highlighted a peculiar and potentially incriminating discrepancy: in 2019, TDB officials had certified the gold-plated panels designated for restoration as being made solely of pure copper. Furthermore, Mr. Potti faced questioning regarding a four-month delay in depositing these panels for restoration after they were removed from the temple.
The Vigilance team is meticulously scrutinizing whether Mr. Potti exploited the sacred temple property for ‘private pujas.’ This line of inquiry is fueled by viral 2019 video footage and photographs circulating across social and traditional media, and aims to determine if these rituals were used for personal gain or unauthorized fundraising by Mr. Potti or his associates.
Suspicious Warranty and Missing Gold
Adding to the list of concerns, the investigation is revisiting the alleged 4-kilogram discrepancy in the weight of metals returned to the temple by Mr. Potti in 2019. A critical point of contention is why the Chennai-based restoration company issued a 40-year warranty for the refurbished temple panels under Mr. Potti’s personal name, rather than the Travancore Devaswom Board, the legitimate owner. This unusual warranty arrangement reportedly forced the TDB, even in August 2025, to rely on Mr. Potti’s involvement for subsequent repairs, despite earlier warnings from their own Vigilance department in 2019.
TDB president P.S. Prasanth recently clarified that the board had transported the panels flanking the sanctum sanctorum entrance to Chennai for repairs under strict police escort. He emphasized that the TDB had specifically summoned Mr. Potti to honor the existing warranty, explicitly stating that the panels were not entrusted to him in the same manner as in 2019.
Following a four-hour interrogation at the TDB headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, Mr. Potti vehemently defended himself to reporters, asserting his innocence and claiming to be the target of an unfair ‘media witch-hunt’ orchestrated by journalists.