Sabarimala Gold Plating Case: Vigilance Report Exposes Massive Fraud by Unnikrishnan Potty
Thiruvananthapuram: Details of the report submitted by the Travancore Devaswom Board Vigilance Department to the High Court concerning the Sabarimala gold plating controversy have been released. The report indicates that Unnikrishnan Potty intended to defraud the Devaswom Board and gain illicit profit.
In July 2019, Potty took possession of gold plates weighing 42.800 kg, which were affixed to the Dvarapalaka sculptures near the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) and at the south-north corners. He acquired them under the pretext of undertaking repair work. The plates, initially stated to be transported from Sabarimala to Chennai, were first taken to Bengaluru, then Hyderabad, before finally reaching Smart Creations in Chennai. The report states there is no clarity on whether the plates delivered to Chennai were the original ones or duplicates. Only 394.900 grams of gold were plated in Chennai, with Potty allegedly misappropriating the remaining gold.
The Vigilance SP’s report further highlights that these highly valuable gold plates were taken to various homes and temples in Chennai, Bengaluru, and Kerala without any security, where pujas were performed to generate illegal profits. When the gold-plated plates were returned to Sannidhanam on September 1, their weight had decreased to 38 kg and 258.1 grams.
The investigation also revealed that the actual sponsors for other construction activities carried out by Unnikrishnan Potty through sponsorship at Sabarimala were Govardhanan, a native of Karnataka, and Ajikumar, a Keralite. The report suggests that the Annadanam (free meal service), Padipuja, Udayasthamana Puja, and Kalabhishekam performed by Potty on January 1, 2025, might have been offerings in return for the profits gained through the alleged theft. The Vigilance SP’s report recommends that Unnikrishnan Potty’s actions constitute a punishable criminal offense and calls for a comprehensive investigation into the involvement, instigation, and conspiracy of officials, including the Devaswom Board President and members during the 2019 period.