The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) Vigilance on Sunday recorded the statement of Unnikrishnan Potty, a former helper and the sponsor of gold-plating works at the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple, for the second consecutive day, amid the escalating controversy over alleged "misappropriation and manipulation" of gold-plated copper panels adorning the temple's sacred structures.
Unnikrishnan Potty was questioned for nearly three hours at the TDB Vigilance headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram. After the session, he left the premises without responding clearly to the media's questions. When pressed, Potty remarked, "Don't I have freedom as an individual? Everything will be proven before the High Court. Don't I have the right to move freely? The truth will prevail.
As part of the ongoing investigation, the Devaswom Vigilance team interrogated Unnikrishnan for four hours on Saturday. The government has reportedly assessed that his financial transactions raise serious suspicion and that he may be part of a larger racket involving several other individuals.
Investigators are currently probing whether funds were raised under the guise of gold-plating sponsorship only to be diverted elsewhere. A separate inquiry will also be conducted into the wealth accumulated by Unnikrishnan.
Once the Devaswom Vigilance, which is currently handling the matter, submits its report to the High Court next week, the government is expected to signal its readiness to transfer the investigation to the Crime Branch. The plan under consideration is to have the probe led by an officer of ADGP rank. Meanwhile, the Opposition has formally demanded that the case be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation.
The ongoing inquiry stems from allegations that several gold-plated panels removed from the temple in 2019 and 2025 for restoration at workshops in Hyderabad and Chennai were mishandled, with discrepancies reported in their weight and gold content.
TDB President PS Prasanth confirmed that the Board, in consultation with Devaswom Minister VN Vasavan, will seek the Kerala High Court's permission for a comprehensive investigation.
"I met with the Devaswom Minister yesterday, and both the Minister and the Board have decided to request the court for a thorough probe, covering everything from Vijay Mallya's gold plating in 1998 up to the events of 2025. This will include the shortfall in gold, doubts related to the gold, and all related controversies," Prasanth told the media. He further stressed that "a great temple like Sabarimala should never be left under a cloud of suspicion.
The controversy reignited after the Kerala High Court ordered the immediate return of the gold-plated panels taken for repairs and criticised the TDB for violating procedural norms by not informing the court-appointed Sabarimala Special Commissioner.
The issue intensified when Unnikrishnan Potti claimed that two gold-plated panels donated to the temple in 2019 were missing from the strongroom, just ahead of the TDB-sponsored Global Ayyappa Sangamam event.
Concurrently, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) will petition the High Court to order a comprehensive investigation into the ‘missing gold’ controversy, covering the entire period from 1998 — when businessman Vijay Mallya first donated gold sheets for plating the sanctum sanctorum of the Sabarimala temple — up to 2025.
Also read: TDB seeks probe into Sabarimala gold plating since 1998, moves HC
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