A major breakthrough has occurred in the Sabarimala gold theft probe, with accused Unnikrishnan Potti confessing to selling gold from the temple’s sculptures to a merchant in Bellary. The SIT has taken Potti to Bellary for evidence collection.
Thiruvananthapuram: A major breakthrough has emerged in the Sabarimala gold theft investigation, with crucial testimony claiming that Unnikrishnan Potti sold gold extracted from the temple’s Dwarapalaka sculptures at Smart Creations to a merchant in Bellary.
According to the Special Investigation Team (SIT), Unnikrishnan Potti admitted to transporting the gold to Bellary and selling it to Govardhan, a local gold dealer. Govardhan has also confessed to purchasing the gold, corroborating Unnikrishnan Potti’s account.
SIT Takes Potti to Bellary for Evidence Collection
Following these admissions, the investigation team traveled to Bengaluru with Unnikrishnan Potti earlier this week. Over the past few days, statements from key individuals connected to the case have been recorded. Govardhan was summoned to the Crime Branch headquarters in Kerala, where SP Sasidharan personally took his statement.
Based on Govardhan’s testimony, the SIT departed for Bellary with Unnikrishnan Potti early this morning to gather evidence and verify the sale of the stolen gold.
476 Grams of Gold Still Missing
The Devaswom Vigilance has so far identified a shortage of 476 grams of gold linked to the theft. The ongoing investigation aims to establish the full chain of transactions involved in the case.