Sabarimala row: More attempts to siphon off gold suspected

It has come to light that TDB documents in 2024 pertaining to handing over the platings of the two 'Dwarapalaka" idols again to Potti for maintenance also mentioned those as copper even as the latter himself carried out the gold plating in 2019.

Thiruvananthapuram: Raising suspicions of more attempts to siphon off gold from the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, it came to light that the gold plating of the temple were mentioned as copper in a 2024 document for carrying out maintenance  of the platings of the two 'Dwarapalaka' idols.

Earlier it was revealed that the gold plating of the idols and door frame done with industrialist Vijay Mallya's sponsorship in 1998-99 were shown as copper while it was handed over to Bengaluru-based industrialist Unnikrishnan Potti in 2019 for gold platting. Around two kilograms of gold used for plating were so far found to be stolen.

Now it has come to light that the Travancore Devaswom Board's (TDB) documents in 2024 pertaining to handing over the platings of the two 'Dwarapalaka" idols again to Potti for maintenance also mentioned those as copper even as Potti himself carried out the gold plating in 2019.

This is suspected to be part of yet another conspiracy to take the gold from the copper mold and sell it to Ayyappa devotees for exorbitant price.

The gold heist from the temple came out after the special commissioner appointed by court cited procedural irregularities in handing over the molds to Potti in September this year. The molds were later returned after maintenance work and refixed last month.

Since those involved in the 2019 gold heist were involved in giving the molds to Potti for maintenance in 2024-25, the credential of the maintenance done in 2024-25 may also come under probe by the High Court appointed special investigation team. The existing office bearers of the devaswom board could also come under scanner.

Already two officials including former administrative officer of the Sabarimala temple Murari Babu and former executive officer Sudheesh Kumar were held  apart from Potti. Other former officials of the board were arraigned in the two cases pertaining to the 2019 gold heist from the 'Dwarapalaka' idols and door frames are likely to be arrested soon.