SIT takes prime accused to Bengaluru in Sabarimala gold theft case

In a significant development in the high-profile Sabarimala temple gold theft case, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Friday, 24 October, escorted prime accused Unnikrishnan Potty to Bengaluru as part of a meticulously planned evidence-gathering operation, officials confirmed.

Potty, whose alleged misdeeds have sent ripples across South India, is at the center of the probe into the disappearance of sacred gold from the revered Dwarapalaka plates and Sreekovil door frames of the temple.

The SIT team, accompanied by Potty, departed early in the morning from the Crime Branch office in Thiruvananthapuram, taking the investigation across state lines.

While official sources have not confirmed the precise mode of travel, officials indicated that Potty may also be taken to Chennai and Hyderabad to trace the trail of the missing gold and collect further evidence before his custody period ends on 30 October, granted by the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Ranni.

According to the ongoing investigation, Potty had received the gold-clad plates of the temple’s guardian deity, the Dwarapalaka, for electroplating in 2019 from the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB). Allegedly, he transported these sacred items to various temples and private residences across South India without authorization. Following electroplating at a Chennai-based firm, the plates were reportedly displayed at multiple locations in Chennai, Bengaluru, and Kerala, raising suspicions of misappropriation and private exploitation.

Potty, a Bengaluru resident who had previously served at a temple in the city, is also said to have had some of his Sabarimala-related works sponsored by individuals from Karnataka. The investigation currently links him to two separate cases concerning the disappearance of gold from both the Dwarapalaka plates and the Sreekovil door frames.

In recent weeks, the SIT has intensified its efforts, including the arrest of former Sabarimala administrative officer B. Murari Babu, reflecting the probe’s far-reaching and methodical nature. As Potty is taken from city to city, investigators hope to recover the missing sacred treasures and bring clarity to a scandal that has shaken devotees and devotees’ faith alike.

With PTI inputs