Sabarimala gold scam: Unnikrishnan Potty colluded with Devaswom staff for gold theft, says remand report

Sabarimala: The investigation report submitted by the Special Investigation Team has revealed in the court that Unnikrishnan Potty, 52, the key accused in the Sabarimala gold theft case, hatched a plan to misappropriate gold on the pretext of cladding copper panels of the idols with gold, knowing fully well that the panels had already been gold-plated in 1998.

However, Unnikrishnan Potty has spoken to the media while he was taken to the custody where he said that he is being framed as part of a conspiracy.

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“I am framed as part of a conspiracy. Those who are behind the crime will be exposed and will soon face the law”, said Potty while he was taken outside the court in Ranni in Pathanamthitta.

The Investigation report submitted at the Judicial First Class Magistrate court-1, Ranni, by SP S Sasidharan, who leads the Special Investigation Team, shows that Potty, the first accused in two cases, had served as an assistant to the priest at Sabarimala between 2004 and 2008. "During this period, he had clear knowledge about Sabarimala and was well aware that gold-plating work was done here in 1998. Still, he procured 2 kg of gold through illicit means, breach of trust and cheating for monetary gains," the report noted.

The probe report by the Devaswom Vigilance has shown that the board officials who signed off on the mahzar to transport the panels to Chennai for gold plating in 2019 were also aware that the gold-plating work was done earlier.

The remand report based on the probe findings of the SIT further holds the Devaswom board officials accountable for the theft. "The gold-plated panels, misrepresented as copper plates, were taken from Sabarimala and then transported to Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra and then taken to Chennai in collusion with the staff responsible for protecting the temple property. The gold was extracted and obtained by Potty. He then used 394 gms of gold to cover the idols, which were then taken for display for financial gains, accounting for violation of rituals," according to the remand report.

He then mobilised sponsors and obtained gold in huge quantities from them, and also kept the gold in his possession. The SIT told the court that Potty will be taken to other states for evidence collection and to identify sponsors from whom he collected contributions as gold. The probe will also focus on the manner in which how Potty misused the gold obtained through unlawful means.