The Kerala High Court held a confidential hearing on the Sabarimala temple gold theft case, directing investigators to uncover the wider conspiracy. Legal representatives for the state and TDB were temporarily asked to leave while the case was heard.
Kochi: The Kerala High Court held confidential proceedings on Tuesday, October 21 regarding the Sabarimala temple gold theft investigation, emphasizing that the conspiracy behind the crime must be uncovered. A Division Bench led by Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice KV Jayakumar examined the case in a closed session, even disabling the online audio transmission typically available for court proceedings. During the hearing, Special Investigation Team leader SP S Sasidharan presented a sealed report detailing how the stolen gold was allegedly transported through multiple cities, including Chennai and Bengaluru, based on statements from prime accused Unnikrishnan Potty and the team’s findings. Legal representatives for the state government and Travancore Devaswom Board were temporarily asked to leave while investigators briefed the bench on developments.
The court has taken the extraordinary step of initiating a separate suo motu case to maintain strict confidentiality. This new case excludes accused individuals like Unnikrishnan Potty and Smart Creations from accessing sensitive investigation documents, with only the government, Devaswom Board, and Devaswom Vigilance listed as parties. The bench stressed that investigators must look beyond simply establishing how Potty and his associates removed the gold, demanding that the underlying conspiracy be exposed. The SIT requested an additional two-week extension beyond the six weeks previously granted, with the court requiring updates every ten days.
‘Calculated Theft’
Investigators have confirmed this was a calculated theft operation. The accused allegedly believed substituting gold-plated copper coverings on the Dwarapalaka sculptures, originally donated by Vijay Mallya in 1998, would go undetected. Potty has been arrested, with more apprehensions expected. The investigation team is intensively questioning Anantha Subramanyam, an associate of Potty, who collected the sculpture plates from the temple in 2019 for gold plating work and transported them to Bengaluru. Authorities believe the gold was stolen during transit to Smart Creations in Chennai, and are working to apprehend additional suspects including individuals named Nagesh and Kalpesh.
The original discrepancy came to light through the Special Commissioner’s report noting unauthorized removal of gold-plated coverings from the guardian deity statues and their bases. The court subsequently formed the Special Investigation Team and later expanded their mandate to examine potential losses from the inner sanctum’s decorative elements as well.