Ranni: In a major revelation in the Sabarimala gold ‘heist’ case, Unnikrishnan Potti has reportedly confessed to the police that the stolen gold was shared in collusion with Devaswom officials. According to his statement, a well-planned conspiracy took place involving key Devaswom personnel to carry out the theft.

The police say Potti’s statement points primarily to the involvement of senior Devaswom officials, confirming the criminal nature of the conspiracy. He stated this while being questioned by the Special Investigation Team (SIT).

Potti revealed that plans to smuggle gold from the Sannidhanam (sanctum) began when he arrived at Sabarimala in connection with a sponsorship programme. He further stated that after extracting gold from the gold plates, it was handed over to Kalpesh, a middle man. Potti’s statement also claims that Kalpesh was actively involved in all stages of planning related to the theft.

Given the clear indications of a criminal conspiracy, the SIT officially recorded Potti’s arrest. He had been taken into custody around noon on Thursday and questioned for approximately 18 hours. Following the arrest, SIT officers, including SP S Sasidharan and SP Bijoy, arrived at the office around 7 am for a second round of questioning. They later left for Ranni by morning, where Potti was produced in court at 11 am and remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody. His lawyer did not file a bail application.

With this critical testimony in hand, the investigation is entering a decisive phase. The next step involves tracing the stolen gold allegedly transported by Potti and identifying other co-conspirators, including more Devaswom officials. Further investigations in this direction will follow in the coming days.