SIT Raids Bengaluru Home of Unnikrishnan Potty in Sabarimala Gold Theft Case

Thiruvananthapuram: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has conducted a raid at the Bengaluru residence of Unnikrishnan Potty in connection with the theft of gold from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) sculpture at Sabarimala Temple.
Investigators had earlier received information that Potty had sold the stolen gold to a jeweller in Ballari, Karnataka. Acting on this lead, the team recovered 476 grams of gold from Ballari. The seized gold will be presented before the Ranni court. Following the recovery, the SIT reached Srirampura in Bengaluru and began an inspection at Potty’s residence.
The search in Bengaluru was based on the statement of the Ballari jeweller, who admitted to purchasing the gold from Potty. The investigation team also plans to take Potty to the gold-plating unit “Smart Creations” in Chennai — the firm that handled the temple’s gold-plating work — for further evidence collection. Devaswom Vigilance officials had earlier confirmed that 476 grams of gold were missing from the Sabarimala sculpture panel.
More arrests of Devaswom Board officials are likely as the probe progresses. Currently, Unnikrishnan Potty and Murari Babu—both named in two separate cases—remain in custody. Murari Babu is the second accused in the sculpture panel theft case and the sixth accused in another case related to the theft of gold from Kattilappadi.
According to investigators, Murari Babu conspired with the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potty, to carry out the theft. Officials expect to gather more information about others involved in the conspiracy as the interrogation of remaining suspects continues.