Sabarimala Temple (PTI File Photo)
Thiruvananthapuram: At least three more persons from Bengaluru are under the scanner of the special investigation team (SIT) in connection with the gold looting from Sabarimala Ayyappa temple.
Apart from Bengaluru settled Malayali Unnikrishnan Potti, who was already held by the special investigation team, three other persons from Bengaluru were already found to be involved in the looting of gold from the gold plating of the Ayyappa temple.
While one Aanantha Subramanyam and Ramesh from Bengaluru were reportedly involved in collecting the plating from Sabarimala on behalf of Potti, another person named Kalpesh was found to have collected the gold extracted from the plating from the Chennai-based Smart Creations. All three were suspected to be close associates of Potti.
Potti, who is now in the custody of the special investigation team, is learnt to have maintained that his role in the gold looting was very minimal and he only acted as per the instruction of the main conspirators.
The SIT suspects that around two kilograms of gold looted from the plating of the temple were sold to well off devotees at an exorbitant price than market value of gold, citing aesthetic value owing to connection with the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple. A major challenge before the SIT will be recovering the gold extracted from the temple. Scientific tests could be crucial in the process.
The SIT will soon quiz officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board arraigned in the case. The involvement of Travancore Devaswom Board officials already became evident as the gold plating done with industrialist Vijay Mallya's sponsorship in 1998-99 were mentioned as copper while handing over to Unnikrishnan Potti in 2019 for gold plating.
Meanwhile, the SIT on Tuesday submitted an interim report of the investigation. The HC reportedly directed that the entire conspiracy behind the looting should be exposed and the involvement of all, including top officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board that manages the temple should be probed into.
In order to ensure utmost confidentiality in the probe, the proceedings of the case were held in-camera. The division bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar had directed the SIT to maintain confidentiality of the investigation.