Sabarimala gold plating row: Kerala TDB Vigilance records statement of sponsor Unnikrishnan Potty for 2nd consecutive day

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], October 5 (ANI): The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) Vigilance on Sunday recorded the statement of Unnikrishnan Potty, a former helper and the sponsor of gold-plating works at the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple, for the second consecutive day, amid the escalating controversy over alleged "misappropriation and manipulation" of gold-plated copper panels adorning the temple's sacred structures.
Unnikrishnan Potty was questioned for nearly three hours at the TDB Vigilance headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram. After the session, he left the premises without responding clearly to the media's questions. When pressed, Potty remarked, "Don't I have freedom as an individual? Everything will be proven before the High Court. Don't I have the right to move freely? The truth will prevail."
The ongoing inquiry stems from allegations that several gold-plated panels removed from the temple in 2019 and 2025 for restoration at workshops in Hyderabad and Chennai were mishandled, with discrepancies reported in their weight and gold content.
TDB President P.S. Prasanth confirmed that the Board, in consultation with Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan, will seek the Kerala High Court's permission for a comprehensive investigation.
"I met with the Devaswom Minister yesterday, and both the Minister and the Board have decided to request the court for a thorough probe, covering everything from Vijay Mallya's gold plating in 1998 up to the events of 2025. This will include the shortfall in gold, doubts related to the gold, and all related controversies," Prasanth told ANI. He further stressed that "a great temple like Sabarimala should never be left under a cloud of suspicion."
The controversy reignited after the Kerala High Court ordered the immediate return of the gold-plated panels taken for repairs and criticised the TDB for violating procedural norms by not informing the court-appointed Sabarimala Special Commissioner.
The issue intensified when Unnikrishnan Potti claimed that two gold-plated panels donated to the temple in 2019 were missing from the strongroom, just ahead of the TDB-sponsored Global Ayyappa Sangamam event. Last week, the TDB Vigilance wing recovered the "missing" items from Unnikrishanan Potti's relatives' residence, sparking public outrage and political protests.
Both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have announced state-wide agitations from Monday demanding a High Court-monitored Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged irregularities. (ANI)