Unnikrishnan Potty accused of stealing gold from Sabarimala; SIT ordered to register criminal cases, Devaswom officials may also face arrest

KOCHI: Unnikrishnan Potty, who oversaw repair work on the Dwarapalaka sculptures and the golden panels on the door frames of the Sabarimala sreekovil in 2019, has been accused of stealing 474.9 grams of gold. The Kerala High Court has directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to register two separate cases and conduct a detailed inquiry into the matter.

The court emphasised that those involved in the theft, corruption, and breach of trust must be brought to justice. It also noted lapses on the part of Devaswom Board officials, making arrests among them likely.

According to a report submitted to the court by V. Sunil Kumar, Chief Vigilance and Security Officer of the Devaswom Board and Superintendent of Police, Potty allegedly misappropriated 474.9 grams of gold while spending only three grams of his own. The stolen gold is estimated to be worth over Rs 50 lakh.

Originally, the door frames contained 409 grams of gold, while the Dwarapalaka figures had 577 grams, totalling 989 grams. Currently, only 394.9 grams remain on the sculptures and 184 grams on the door frames.

The court ordered that the investigation be completed within six weeks, with an interim report due in two weeks. It also instructed that no information be released to the public or media until the inquiry is concluded. The state police chief has been made a respondent in the case.

The theft of the door-frame gold panels occurred months before the gold plating was removed from the Dwarapalaka idols. The court has also directed that the lintels (wooden beams) be included in the investigation.

The Devaswom Bench, comprising Justices V. Raj Vijayaraghavan and K.V. Jayakumar, found, based on the vigilance report, that Potty had obtained permission by misrepresenting the items as “gold on door frames and copper panels.” A mahazar (official record) prepared on May 18, 2019, was signed by Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru, the then Melshanthi V.N. Vasudevan Namboothiri, Administrative Officer B. Murari Babu, and others.