7 months ago
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The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Sabarimala golden theft lawsuit connected Saturday (October 18, 2025) conducted a hunt astatine the ancestral location of Unnikrishnan Potti, the premier accused successful the case.
According to authoritative sources, the hunt was carried retired astatine Mr. Potti’s ancestral location astatine Karettu. In its remand report, the SIT had stated that Mr. Potti committed a breach of spot by stealing 2 kg of golden from the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple. However, the study did not clarify what happened to the stolen gold, which remains the superior absorption of the ongoing investigation.
During interrogation, Mr. Potti is learned to person fixed statements implicating officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) successful irregularities astatine the temple. He is besides said to person told the SIT that the conspiracy to bargain the golden began arsenic aboriginal arsenic the clip helium applied arsenic a sponsor. The smelting of the golden from the idols and the temple’s doorway frames, helium claimed, was portion of the plan. Investigators fishy that the stolen golden was shared among the conspirators.
Notices issued
Meanwhile, the SIT is expected to instrumentality Murari Babu, a suspended administrative serviceman of the TDB and a cardinal accused successful the case, into custody for questioning soon. Mr. Babu had allegedly recorded a connection successful the TDB Mahassar claiming that the gold-plated sheets of the sculptures were copper sheets, allegedly to facilitate the theft. The SIT has besides begun issuing questioning notices to different accused.
Kalpesh, a Bengaluru nonmigratory believed to person received the stolen golden from Mr. Potti, and Nagesh, the proprietor of a Hyderabad-based golden processing unit, are besides expected to beryllium taken into custody soon. The relation of Chennai-based Smart Creations, wherever the gold-clad sheets connected the Dwarapalaka sculptures underwent repairs, is nether probe arsenic well.
In a related incident, the Ranni constabulary connected Saturday registered a lawsuit against Bharatiya Janata Party person Sinu S. Panicker, who hurled a footwear astatine Mr. Potti portion helium was being shifted to a constabulary conveyance aft being produced earlier the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court successful Ranni. The lawsuit has been registered nether Sections 131 and 118(a) of the Kerala Police Act.
