Thiruvananthapuram: The Special Investigation Team of the Crime Branch has taken Unnikrishnan Potty, the first accused in the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple gold missing case, into custody on Thursday. The probe team under Crime Branch ADGP H Venkatesh is interrogating Potty at Crime Branch office in Enjakkal here.The probe team is likely to record Potty’s arrest.

It is learnt that SIT officials nabbed Potty from his residence at Pulimathu in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday morning.

Unnikrishnan Potty, who sponsored the Dwarapalaka idol coverings and allegedly extracted gold from them under the guise of electroplating, has been named as the first accused in the case. His associate, Kalpesh, has been named the second accused.

All members of the Travancore Devaswom Board in the year 2019 have been named as the eighth accused in the case. The then Devaswom Commissioner N Vasu, Thiruvabharanam Commissioner, Executive Officer, Administrative Officer, and Assistant Engineer have also been booked.

HC order
It was on October 10 that the Kerala High Court directed the SIT to register a case and probe into the alleged missing of 475 gm of gold from the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple. The division bench of Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice KV Jayakumar ordered the SIT to conduct an impartial probe and submit the inquiry report within six weeks.

The court issued the direction after going through the investigation report placed before it by the Chief Vigilance and Security Officer (Superintendent of Police). The bench said that the probe was initially commenced with respect to the gold-plating of the 'Dwarpalaka' (guardian deity) idols in Lord Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala, but the facts in the report "disclose serious malpractice regarding the door frames as well".

"The report indicates that a substantial quantity of gold, approximately 474.9 grams, was handed over to the sponsor, Unnikrishnan Potty. The records do not disclose that this gold was ever re-entrusted to the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB)," it said.

The court also noted that according to the report, various communications and TDB decisions of 2019 regarding handing over of the door frames for gold-plating, describes the items as 'copper plates' and not 'gold-covered copper plates'.

"This discrepancy is a matter of serious gravity, particularly since in our earlier order we had recorded that a total of 30.291 kg of gold was utilised in the year 1998-99.

"Prima facie, serious lapses and derelictions on the part of Board officials are apparent and this warrants a thorough investigation on all aspects and fronts," the bench said.

Following the HC order, the SIT registered a case on October 11 and booked Unnikrishnan Potty as the first accused. The accused face charges of dishonest misappropriation of property, criminal breach of trust, forgery, and criminal acts committed by several persons in furtherance of a common intention under Sections 403, 406, 409, 466, 467, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).