<p>Thiruvananthapuram: With the a<a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/kerala/sabarimala-gold-missing-row-sit-arrests-prime-accused-unnikrishnan-potty-3767186">rrest of Bengaluru-based Malayali Unnikrishnan Potti</a> in the Sabarimala Ayyappan temple gold looting case, the special investigation team is expanding the probe to Bengaluru and other southern states.</p><p>Potti is suspected to have handed over the gold to one Kalpesh, who is believed to be a Bengaluru native. The involvement of officials of the Chennai-based Smart Creations in looting the gold is also suspected. The role of some associates of Potti in Bengaluru will also come under probe.</p><p><br>Potti, who was taken into custody from his house on the suburbs of Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday, was arrested by the wee hours of Friday after around ten hours of quizzing. He was produced before court and was handed over to the special investigation team's custody for two weeks.</p><p>While being taken by the police, Potti said that all those who trapped him would be also brought before the law.</p>.Sabarimala gold row: Accused misappropriated 2 kg from deity idols, claims SIT report.<p>Potti is learnt to have confessed to the investigation team about the involvement of Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) officials in handing over the gold platings of the 'Dwarapalaka' idols and door frames of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple in 2019 for gold plating mentioning those as copper despite the fact that those were gold plated with the sponsorship of industrialist Vijay Mallya during 1998-99.</p><p>Even as the exact quantity of the gold looted by Potti was yet to be ascertained, SIT estimates that it could be around two kilograms. The quality of gold plating done by Potti in 2019 is also now suspicious. He was suspected to have collected cash and gold from various well off devotees from various southern states by exhibiting the gold plating handed over to him by the temple authorities flouting norms. Official of smart creations, which did the gold plating work, gave leads about one Kalpesh who acted as Potti's representative. </p>.Sabarimala gold missing row: One more employee of Travancore Devaswom Board suspended.<p>Meanwhile, the gold plated coverings of the 'Dwarapalaka' idols on either side of the doors of the sanctum sanctorum were refixed on Friday. Those were taken to Chennai last month by Potti citing that repair work needed to be done. The looting of gold from the temple came out after the irregularities in taking the plating's to Chennai came to the notice of the Kerala High Court.</p>
<p>Thiruvananthapuram: With the a<a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/kerala/sabarimala-gold-missing-row-sit-arrests-prime-accused-unnikrishnan-potty-3767186">rrest of Bengaluru-based Malayali Unnikrishnan Potti</a> in the Sabarimala Ayyappan temple gold looting case, the special investigation team is expanding the probe to Bengaluru and other southern states.</p><p>Potti is suspected to have handed over the gold to one Kalpesh, who is believed to be a Bengaluru native. The involvement of officials of the Chennai-based Smart Creations in looting the gold is also suspected. The role of some associates of Potti in Bengaluru will also come under probe.</p><p><br>Potti, who was taken into custody from his house on the suburbs of Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday, was arrested by the wee hours of Friday after around ten hours of quizzing. He was produced before court and was handed over to the special investigation team's custody for two weeks.</p><p>While being taken by the police, Potti said that all those who trapped him would be also brought before the law.</p>.Sabarimala gold row: Accused misappropriated 2 kg from deity idols, claims SIT report.<p>Potti is learnt to have confessed to the investigation team about the involvement of Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) officials in handing over the gold platings of the 'Dwarapalaka' idols and door frames of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple in 2019 for gold plating mentioning those as copper despite the fact that those were gold plated with the sponsorship of industrialist Vijay Mallya during 1998-99.</p><p>Even as the exact quantity of the gold looted by Potti was yet to be ascertained, SIT estimates that it could be around two kilograms. The quality of gold plating done by Potti in 2019 is also now suspicious. He was suspected to have collected cash and gold from various well off devotees from various southern states by exhibiting the gold plating handed over to him by the temple authorities flouting norms. Official of smart creations, which did the gold plating work, gave leads about one Kalpesh who acted as Potti's representative. </p>.Sabarimala gold missing row: One more employee of Travancore Devaswom Board suspended.<p>Meanwhile, the gold plated coverings of the 'Dwarapalaka' idols on either side of the doors of the sanctum sanctorum were refixed on Friday. Those were taken to Chennai last month by Potti citing that repair work needed to be done. The looting of gold from the temple came out after the irregularities in taking the plating's to Chennai came to the notice of the Kerala High Court.</p>