The SIT’s move comes after the Devaswom Vigilance recommended a comprehensive probe into all temple activities and offerings that were undertaken through Potty’s sponsorship.
Published Oct 17, 2025 | 9:53 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 17, 2025 | 1:51 PM
Unnikrishnan Potty.
Synopsis: The Special Investigation Team probing the Sabarimala gold misappropriation case recorded the arrest of Unnikrishnan Potty in the case. He will be produced before a court in Ranni, Pathanamthitta. Potty is the key figure in the missing of gold from the Dwarapalaka sculpture and the temple’s door frame.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Sabarimala gold misappropriation case on Friday, 17 October, recorded the arrest of Unnikrishnan Potty in the case. This is the first arrest in the cases involving the missing gold from the Dwarapalaka sculptures and the gold plating on the doors at the Sabarimala shrine.
The Ranni court remanded him to police custody till 30 October. The court granted 14 days’ custody to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) after hearing arguments.
Potty is the key figure related to the missing gold from the Dwarapalaka sculpture and the temple’s door frame — two separate cases that have rocked the Travancore Devaswom Board.
Potty was taken into custody from his residence at Pulimath in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday and formally arrested early Friday morning after hours of interrogation at a secret location.
The SIT’s move comes after the Devaswom Vigilance recommended a comprehensive probe into all temple activities and offerings that were undertaken through Potty’s sponsorship.
During questioning, Potty reportedly made a crucial statement implicating officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board and members of the temple’s administrative committee, alleging a larger conspiracy. He claimed that a person named Kalpesh was brought in as part of the plan and admitted to receiving money from multiple sources.
The SIT recorded the arrest at around 2.30 am after more than 10 hours of interrogation.
The vigilance report flagged that his transactions were “mysterious” and suspected that he had made “huge profits” through temple-related contracts, calling for a detailed investigation.
According to the report, the gold plating work carried out by Smart Creations, a Chennai-based firm, lacked transparency.
It was revealed that the gold used for plating the temple’s flagpole and dome was not sourced from devotees’ offerings but processed in Bengaluru and Mumbai before being sent to Chennai.
The probe has unearthed serious lapses dating back to 16 February 2019, when the Sabarimala Executive Officer recommended handing over the gold-plated copper plates from the shrine’s kattila to Unnikrishnan Potty for re-plating.
When the proposal reached the Devaswom Commissioner, references to “gold-plated copper plates” were allegedly altered to just “copper plates,” effectively bypassing oversight.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President Sunny Joseph on Friday alleged that the arrest of Potty was deliberately delayed to allow him to destroy evidence and move the stolen gold to other locations.
“The police are trying to save the accused. Those who raised Potty should also be identified. Who are the real beneficiaries of this? The conspiracy is evident from the FIR itself — one person cannot conspire alone,” Sunny Joseph told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.
He also held the Devaswom Board accountable, stating that they should be included as accused in the case, and evidence must be collected from them to ensure the recovery of the stolen gold.
Potty was arrested only after the intervention of the High Court, nearly a week and a half after the allegations surfaced.
The KPCC president demanded that the investigation team identify how much gold was lost and trace its sale.
“The stolen gold must be recovered and restored. It is the responsibility of the investigation team to bring out the truth and arrest everyone involved in the conspiracy,” Sunny Joseph said.
The SIT, led by Crime Branch Chief H Venkatesh, has already visited the Sabarimala Sannidhanam, examined records, and questioned several Devaswom employees, including a priest.
The 2019 Devaswom Board has been named as the eighth accused in the second FIR. The Prevention of Corruption Act is likely to be invoked against several officials.
The investigation has also pointed to dereliction of duty by senior officials, including the Thiruvabharanam Commissioner, Sabarimala Executive Officer, Administrative Officer, and Assistant Engineer.
If found guilty, the Devaswom Board is expected to initiate steps to withhold pension benefits, recover losses, and seize the missing gold from the accused officials and individuals.
Unnikrishnan Potty remains in custody as the SIT intensifies its probe, marking what officials describe as a “significant step” in cracking the case that has raised serious questions about accountability and transparency in one of Kerala’s most revered temples.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with inputs from Dileep V Kumar.)
