Gold plated sheets taken to temple in Bengaluru, Unnikrishnan Potty to be grilled

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The vigilance has found that Unnikrishnan Potty took the gold-plated sheets of the Dwarapalaka idols of Sabarimala to Bengaluru. The gold sheets were taken to the Sri Dharma Shastra Ayyappa Temple at Srirampuram in Bengaluru. Unnikrishnan Potty was a former priest of this temple.

The incident happened in 2019. The Ayyappa temple authorities in Srirampura told a media that he had brought an object saying that it was the door of the sanctum sanctorum. Pooja was performed in the temple and facilities were made available for devotees to have darshan. Vigilance also received information about this. Unnikrishnan Potty brought the gold sheets along with a businessman named Ramesh. The temple authorities also said that after performing the pooja, he packed them and took it away. The temple authorities revealed that Unnikrishnan Potty was expelled from the temple in 2004.

Vigilance will investigate whether Unnikrishnan Potty replaced the original gold plating and returned it with another sheet. Vigilance said Unnikrishnan Potty and his friends in Bengaluru will be questioned.