A vigilance court in Kollam granted statutory bail to Unnikrishnan Potti in the Sabarimala gold misappropriation case after the Special Investigation Team failed to file chargesheets within 90 days, as noted by Special Judge Mohit CS of Kerala case.
KERALA: A vigilance court in Kollam, Kerala, granted bail to Unnikrishnan Potti, the main accused in the Sabarimala gold misappropriation case.
The decision was made by Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge Mohit CS after determining that the Special Investigation Team had not submitted chargesheets within the mandated 90 days, thus entitling Potti to statutory bail.
This is the second case related to the disappearance of gold from the door frames of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) at the Sabarimala temple. Previously, Potti had also obtained statutory bail in a related case involving the misappropriation of gold from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols.
Potti, who was arrested in October 2025, will now be released from custody.
The two cases involve gold that went missing from the temple’s copper plate coverings on the Dwarapalaka idols and from the door frames at the Sabarimala temple. It is alleged that irregularities by officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board allowed Potti to obtain permission for repair work on these items, which facilitated his misappropriation of nearly 4 kg of temple gold.
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During the measurement of the plates post-repair, it was discovered that several kilograms of gold were unaccounted for, and some of this gold was reportedly recovered from Potti’s sister’s residence.
An SIT was formed under the direction of the Kerala High Court, and Potti faces charges under multiple sections, including 120B (criminal conspiracy), 403 (dishonest misappropriation of property), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant), 466 (forgery of court or public records), and 467 (forgery of valuable security), along with Section 34 (common intention) of the IPC, and Section 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.
Additionally, the Enforcement Directorate is conducting an investigation into money laundering related to the gold misappropriation.
The investigation into the Sabarimala gold theft allegations is being conducted by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted following directions from the Kerala High Court. The SIT is examining the role of temple officials, the handling of temple assets, and alleged lapses in accounting and supervision.
The case involves the alleged theft of nearly 4 kg of gold from the Sabarimala temple during repair work on copper coverings of idols and door frames. Unnikrishnan Potti, who carried out the renovations, is the prime accused. Some stolen gold was reportedly recovered from his sister’s house.
According to the prosecution, the accused were involved in the theft and misappropriation of gold from:
- Dwarapalaka idols
- Side frames
- Door frames within the Sabarimala temple complex
The alleged crimes reportedly took place during their tenure in various official capacities linked to temple administration and oversight.
The Kerala High Court ordered a Special Investigation Team probe, suspecting involvement of Devaswom officials and possible offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Potti and Travancore Devaswom Board President A Padmakumar have been arrested, while S Sreekumar is named as the sixth accused.