The Thiruvananthapuram cyber police on Wednesday registered a case against four people linked to the creation and circulation of the parody song ‘Pottiye Kettiye’, which refers to the alleged gold theft at the Sabarimala temple.

Set to the tune of the popular Ayyappa devotional ‘Swamiye Ayyappo’, the song went viral after the Congress used it during its campaign against the Left Democratic Front in the recently concluded local body elections. Its spread triggered controversy over the alleged distortion of a devotional composition and claims of hurt religious sentiments.

According to the FIR, the song was disseminated through online platforms, including YouTube, and also circulated directly among the public and religious groups on or before December 16. The police said the act was carried out “with deliberate intent and prior knowledge” to insult religious sentiments, undermine faith, provoke religious emotions and incite disharmony.

The FIR identified Kunjabdulla Chalappuram as the first accused, alleging that he created and released the song beginning with the words ‘Pottiye Kettiye’ in a manner that insulted Ayyappa devotional songs and the sacred Sharana mantra. The FIR further stated that the song was intended to foster hatred among believers, disrupt communal harmony and disturb public peace.

The second accused, Danish Malappuram, rendered the song, while the third and fourth accused handled its filming and production, respectively. Police said all four jointly propagated the content through internet-based platforms.

The track was produced by Malappuram-based duo Subair Pandalloor and Haneefa Mudikkode as a promotional project for their studio. The lyrics were written by Kunjabdulla Chalappuram, also known as G P Chalappuram, and sung by Danish Malappuram.

The complaint was filed with State Police Chief Ravada Chandrasekhar by Prasanth Kuzhikala, general secretary of the Thiruvabharanapatha Samrakshana Samithi. He alleged that the parody mutilated a sacred Ayyappa devotional composition and misused religious content for political purposes, arguing that linking Lord Ayyappa with an election campaign song amounted to an affront to faith and caused emotional distress to devotees.

The song gained wide circulation in Kerala and among Malayali communities abroad during the election campaign. UDF MPs also used it during a protest outside Parliament, demanding a court-monitored CBI probe into the alleged Sabarimala gold smuggling case.

The lyrics refer to the alleged gold theft at Sabarimala, claiming that Unnikrishnan Potty, who is currently in judicial custody, was brought to the shrine to convert gold into copper, and that gold and money belonging to the deity were stolen by “comrades.”