Sabarimala gold theft: Key accused Unnikrishnan Potti arrested

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: Unnikrishnan Potti, the prime accused in the Sabarimala gold theft case, was arrested by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) late Thursday night following an extensive questioning.

The questioning, which lasted around 12 hours, reportedly yielded crucial information. The SIT, led by Crime Branch ADGP H. Venkatesh, conducted the questioning at a secret facility. Suspended Devaswom official Murari Babu is also expected to be questioned soon.

Potti was taken into custody from his residence in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday morning in connection with two cases dating back to 2019, involving missing gold plates from the Dwarapalaka (guardian) idols and Sreekovil door frames.

After his custody, Potti was brought to the Crime Branch office in HMT Nagar, Ernakulam.

Following the questioning, Potti was taken to Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital around 3 a.m. for a medical examination and then returned to the SIT office. He is expected to be produced before the court on Friday at noon, where the SIT will seek his custody for further investigation. Based on his statement, the SIT plans to question Devaswom officials involved in the case.

For several days, the SIT has been conducting investigations at the Thiruvananthapuram Devaswom Board headquarters. Prior searches were also carried out in Sabarimala, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru for evidence collection. Potti had previously been questioned by Devaswom Vigilance authorities. He was listed eighth among the accused in the 2019 Devaswom Board case related to the gold plate theft.

The investigation has relied on documents and evidence linking Potti to the theft, as well as information obtained from Chennai-based Smart Creations. The SIT is probing who handled the stolen gold, the quantity lost, and the identities of all involved in the fraud.