7 months ago
2
The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) vigilance helping questioned Unnikrishnan Potti, arsenic part of its ongoing probe into alleged misappropriation and suspected misuse of Sabarimala Ayyappa temple artefacts for backstage worship astatine the residences of affluent cinema celebrities and businesspersons successful Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.
Also Read | Gold-plated doorway repair astatine Sabarimala faces roadblock amid mercury ban, ungraded concerns
The TDB had contracted Mr Potti, a well-connected clergyman who occasionally worked part-time astatine the Sabarimala temple and moved successful precocious societal circles, to reconstruct the gold-plated overlays covering the Ayyappa shrine’s past chromatic carvings and sculptures successful 2019.
Subsequently, Mr Potti, with the TDB’s permission, removed the panels from the temple for restoration astatine a steadfast successful Chennai.
Officials said the ongoing vigilance probe notably covered the betterment of 2 “gold-plated coverings reported missing from Sabarimala” from the residence of Mr. Potti’s sister successful Thiruvananthapuram past month.
The portion noted an “incriminating oddity” successful TDB officials certifying the gilded panels earmarked for restoration successful 2019 arsenic made of axenic copper.
Officials said the vigilance helping besides reportedly questioned Mr Potti implicit the four-month hold successful depositing the panels taken retired of the temple successful 2019 for restoration and what transpired during the period.
Officials said the vigilance is examining whether Mr Potti misused the temple spot for “private poojas” based connected 2019 video footage and photographs that person gone viral connected societal and accepted media. It is besides examining whether Mr Potti oregon others had utilized the poojas for backstage money postulation and idiosyncratic profiteering.
Moreover, the portion is besides re-examining the alleged four-kilogram simplification successful the value of the metals returned to the temple by Mr Potti successful 2019 and wherefore the restoration institution successful Chennai issued the 40-year warranty for the refurbished temple panels successful Mr Potti’s sanction alternatively of naming the TDB arsenic the archetypal purchaser.
Notably, the warranty successful Mr Potti’s sanction had constrained the TDB successful August 2025 to question his services for repair, contempt cautionary reddish flags raised by the vigilance helping successful 2019.
TDB President P. S. Prasanth clarified connected Saturday that the Board had transported the panels covering the chromatic sculptures flanking the entranceway to the sanctum sanctorum nether constabulary escort to Chennai for repair. “The TDB had summoned Mr Potti to Chennai and did not entrust the panels with him arsenic it happened successful 2019. There was nary simplification successful value (38 kg) successful the gold-plated (387 sovereigns) panels”, helium said.
Mr Potti, who emerged aft 4 hours of questioning astatine the TDB office successful Thiruvananthapuram, told reporters that helium was the unfortunate of a media witch-hunt and was guiltless of the charges “journalists” had levelled against him.
