‘Full freedom for Unnikrishnan Potty, special consideration for pooja bookings’; employees testify against Padma Kumar

PATHANAMTHITTA: The employees of the Sabarimala temple testified against former devaswom board president A Padma Kumar in the gold theft case. The employees asserted that Padma Kumar had given full freedom to the arrested Unnikrishna Potty. The employees told the special investigation team that Potty’s relatives and friends used devaswom president’s room and special consideration was given to him in the pooja bookings.

The information emerged as a scientific inspection will be conducted in Sabarimala today. A scientific inspection is to be conducted at the Sannidhanam as per the directions of the Kerala high court. A special investigation team reached Sabarimala yesterday. A 15-member team of experts led by SP Sasidharan arrived.

After the uchcha puja, the Tantri will seek the permission of Lord Ayyappa. The inspection will be conducted after the temple is closed. The team will collect the weight of the side pillar layers of the gold plating on the Dwarapalaka idols, the weight of the door frame installed in 2019, samples of gold from the temple area that has not been handed over to Unnikrishnan Potty, samples from other places, samples of copper plating on the Dwarapalaka idols and door frames etc.

Meantime, the high court will consider the plea filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) today seeking documents of the cases registered by the state police in the gold theft. The ED has sought copies of documents such as the FIR and related statements. The ED approached the high court after the application filed in the Ranni court on this demand was rejected. The ED is demanding that money has been laundered in the Sabarimala gold theft and the documents and details of the cases be provided for a detailed investigation.