While Travancore Devaswom Board documents name Unnikrishnan Potty as the sponsor, records obtained from Chennai-based Smart Creations point to a person named Govardhan.
Published Oct 13, 2025 | 8:00 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 13, 2025 | 8:00 AM
Synopsis: A Vigilance report has exposed conflicting records over who funded the restoration of the gold-plated doors of Sabarimala temple’s sanctum sanctorum, with Travancore Devaswom Board documents naming Unnikrishnan Potty, while Smart Creations records cite a businessman named Govardhan. The report indicates that Govardhan supplied and may have reclaimed gold used in the project. The Special Investigation Team investigating the case has named Potty and an individual called Kalpesh as the first and second accused.
A fresh twist has emerged in the Sabarimala gold-plating case, with conflicting records surfacing over who sponsored the restoration work on the temple’s sanctum sanctorum doors.
While Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) documents name Unnikrishnan Potty as the sponsor, records obtained from Chennai-based Smart Creations point to a person named Govardhan.
The firm’s completion certificate also carries Govardhan’s name, according to a TDB Vigilance report.
Smart Creations records show that Govardhan supplied 512 grams of gold for the work, of which 321.6 grams were used for the doors and 184 grams for the doorframes. The firm also retrieved 409 grams of gold from old metal plates sent from Sabarimala.
Vigilance officials suspect that if Govardhan financed the project, he might also have taken back the extracted gold.
The report further states that 474.9 grams of gold were left after the work was handed over to one Kalpesh, whom Potty had reportedly assigned. Kalpesh’s identity remains unclear.
The SIT has named Potty and Kalpesh as the first and second accused in the case.
Unnikrishnan Potty served as an assistant priest at Sabarimala for some time, during which he reportedly built connections with several celebrities and politicians.
Amid the Crime Branch probe into the Sabarimala gold-plating scam, the TDB Vigilance report found that Potty had no permanent source of income.
The Vigilance probe, initiated on a Kerala High Court order, examined his income tax records (2017–2025) and found ₹10.85 lakh credited in 2025–26 from Kamakshi Enterprises under Other Social or Community Service.
The report, submitted to the High Court on Friday, 10 October, led the court to direct the Crime Branch SIT under ADGP H Venkatesh to register a case.
Potty has been named the first accused, along with 2019 TDB members and officials, including the Devaswom Commissioner, Executive Officer, and Assistant Engineer.
The Vigilance report found that the gold-plating works attributed to Potty were actually funded by businessmen Govardhan from Ballari and Ajikumar from Bengaluru.
It also cited multiple donations made by Potty, including ₹10 lakh for an elevator and ₹6 lakh for Annadhanam.
Meanwhile, TDB President PS Prasanth said the plates were not handed over to Potty in 2024 and that a different Thiruvabharanam Commissioner was in charge then.
The removal of the layers in 2025 was done following all norms, and there is no reason to doubt the current board.
He emphasised that the board aims to resolve all uncertainties and recover any lost gold. An agency will assess the artefacts’ value, and a special investigation team is reviewing the matter, including historical instances like Vijay Mallya’s gold plating in 1998.
On Sunday, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) carried out an inspection at the Chennai-based firm Smart Creations, which undertook the gold-plating work at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple. Investigators suspect that alleged irregularities in the separation of gold occurred at this facility.
Simultaneously, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has initiated its own probe into the controversy, stepping in after the Crime Branch registered two FIRs in connection with the case.
According to officials, the central agency has begun a preliminary inquiry and is closely scrutinising documents, witness statements, and related evidence.
The ED’s investigation will also examine findings from the Travancore Devaswom Board’s Vigilance wing, which earlier flagged discrepancies in the temple’s gold-plating process.
Sources said the agency aims to trace possible financial irregularities and determine whether violations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) have occurred.
