Sabarimala gold theft: SIT gathers evidence leading to top officials

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Sabarimala gold theft case is moving forward with collecting evidence regarding the alleged involvement of top officials from the Travancore Devaswom Board. The move follows key information provided by Unnikrishnan Potty and Murari Babu, who are already in custody. The team is investigating whether any officials received money or gold as part of the deal. Documents related to land transactions found at Potty’s residence will also be examined to determine if they involve benami dealings.

According to reports, statements have been recorded against former Devaswom Board officials as well. Since there are inconsistencies between the testimonies, the SIT plans to question both Potty and Murari Babu together to uncover the details of the conspiracy. Potty will be in custody till October 30, while Murari Babu will be produced before the Ranni First Class Magistrate Court tomorrow. The SIT has already submitted a production warrant to seek his custody.

During a search at Potty’s Bengaluru residence, investigators recovered documents related to land purchases and money-lending activities. Reports suggest that Potty had acquired properties worth several crores in both Kerala and Bengaluru, under his own name and through benami holders. Investigators also found that he lent money using the name of his friend Ramesh Rao as a front.

After completing evidence collection in Bengaluru and Chennai, Potty was brought to the Crime Branch office in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday evening. The SIT earlier recovered 400 grams of gold from Govardhan Jewellers in Ballari, where Potty allegedly sold part of the stolen gold, and another 176 grams from his flat.

Investigation into Govardhan’s role
Govardhan, a gold merchant from Ballari, has claimed that he was the one who constructed and gold-plated the sanctum door of the Sabarimala temple. The SIT will now investigate his business dealings related to the temple. Govardhan said he and his family visited Sabarimala in 2019 when the new gold-plated door was installed, after it had been worshipped in Ballari in a ceremony attended by over a thousand people.

The door was made of teak wood, first coated with copper and later gold-plated. The wooden structure was assembled at Sreeramapura Ayyappa Temple, copper work was done in Hyderabad, and the final gold plating took place in Chennai.

According to the SIT, Unnikrishnan Potty had performed poojas and collected donations in several cities, including Chennai and Visakhapatnam, during the construction of the temple door. Records show that Potty was the official sponsor of the gold-plated door. Govardhan is said to have stated in his testimony that, since the work was undertaken as a sacred duty (niyogam), the change in the sponsor’s name was not given much importance.