Sabarimala gold missing row: Bengaluru-based Malayali under scrutiny

An ongoing probe suspects that Unnikrishnan Potti, had indulged in massive fund raising from various states for the gold plating.

Thiruvananthapuram: A Bengaluru-based Malayali is under a cloud of suspicion in the suspected missing of gold from Sabariamala Ayyappa temples gold plating.

An ongoing probe by the Travancore Devaswom Board's (TDB) vigilance wing suspects that Unnikrishnan Potti, who offered the gold plating for the 'Dwarapalaka' (guarding) idols of Sabarimala temple's sanctum sanctorum , had indulged in massive fund raising from various states for the gold plating.

A couple of Bengaluru based businessmen were also suspected to have colluded with him. Parts of gold plating of Sabarimala were also said to be displayed at Sri Ayyappan temple at Srirampura in Bengaluru in 2019 as part of the fund raising.

Potti, who is now in Thiruvananthapuram, has denied the allegations. He told reporters that he would produce all documents being sought by the court and the devaswom vigilance to prove his innocence.

The deepening mystery over the irregularities in the gold platting of Sabarimala temple had  triggered a political row with the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front holding the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front government responsible and demanding a CBI probe. While opposition leader V D Satheesan alleged that the 'gold looting' from the temple happened with the connivance of the CPI(M) government, UDF convenor and Congress MP Adoor Prakash demanded a CBI probe.

The Pinrayai Vijayan government as well as the devaswom board that manages the temple is putting the blame on Potti and are welcoming a detailed probe right from the affairs of the temple in 1999, the year in which liquor baron Vijay Mallya offering the gold plating of Sabarimala temple, as the platings given for gold plating in 2019 were mentioned as copper in some documents.

In view of the suspected discrepancies in the offerings received at the temple, the Kerala High Court on Monday appointed former judge K T Sankaran to conduct an appraisal of the valuables of the temple.

Incidentally, the suspected irregularities with regard to the Sabarimala temple came up close on the heel of the Pinarayi government initiating the Global Ayyappa Sangamam with the agenda of discussing temple's development, even as it was widely believed to be a political strategy of enhancing rapport with Hindu outfits ahead of elections.

Who is Unnikrishnan Potti?

A native of Pulimathu in the rural parts of Thiruvananthapuram, Potti had served as an assistant priest at the Srirampura temple and was expelled in 2004. 

He worked as assistant to a junior priest at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple around ten years back. Since then he was believed to be acting as a mediator for many leading businessmen in making huge offerings to the temple.

Settled in Bengaluru, Potti is now suspected to be involved in money lending business. He was also accused in two criminal cases in Thiruvananthapuram.

Devaswom vigilance authorities suspect that he is now indulging in collecting funds from rich Ayyappa devotees in South Indian states in the name of offerings for the Sabarimala temple. 

A procedural lapse that opened a Pandora's box     

It was an alleged procedural lapses in removing the gold plating of the 'Dwarapalaka' idols  and sending those to Chennai for repair works recently without proper permission that literally opened a Pandora's box.

The Kerala High Court division bench pointed out that the weight of the gold plated copper cover came down by 4.541 kilogram after it was taken to Chennai in 2019 for gold plating that was done as an offering by Unnikrishnan Potti.

A statement by Potti that a gold plated 'peedom' (pedestal) of the 'dwarapalaka' idols was missing boomeranged on him as the devaswom vigilance recovered it from his sister's house. Potti's staff Vasudevan was allegedly possessing it till then and gave it to Potti following the fresh row.

The mystery deepened further with the authorities of the Srirampura temple in Bengaluru revealing on Wednesday that Potti along with two others brought a panel stating that it was the door of the Sabarimala temple and displayed it there. This was suspected to be part of attempts to raise donations.

But Potti maintains that it was only a wooden door for the Sabarimala temple that was displayed there for devotees to see.