Sabarimala gold case: Prime accused Potti gets bail in one case as ED intensifies probe
Prime accused Unnikrishnan Potti secured bail in one Sabarimala gold loss case even as the ED carried out multi-state raids probing alleged money laundering
A Kerala vigilance court on Wednesday (January 21) granted bail to Bengaluru-based businessman Unnikrishnan Potti, the prime accused in one of the cases linked to the loss of gold from the doors of the Lord Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala.
While the bail pertains to the case involving gold going missing from the door frames of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum), Potti will continue to remain in judicial custody as he is also an accused in a separate case concerning the loss of gold from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols at the temple.
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The bail was granted after Potti argued that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) had failed to file a chargesheet within the mandatory 90-day period prescribed under law.
The detailed order, including bail conditions, is awaited.
The SIT probing the matter has so far arrested 12 persons in the two related cases, including Potti and two former presidents of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages the Sabarimala temple.
ED conducts multi-state raids
A day before the bail order, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out extensive searches across Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu as part of its money laundering investigation into the alleged Sabarimala gold misappropriation.
Around 21 locations were searched under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). These included premises linked to Potti in Bengaluru, properties associated with former TDB president A Padmakumar in Kerala, and several jewellers.
During the searches, the ED froze land assets linked to Potti under Section 17(1A) of the PMLA. Officials said documents and mahazars were recovered, and financial trails related to the alleged proceeds of crime are being examined.
The ED registered the PMLA case on January 9, based on multiple FIRs filed by the Kerala Police. The federal probe runs parallel to the SIT investigation, which is being monitored by the Kerala High Court.
Allegations under probe
According to the ED, preliminary findings suggest that gold-clad sacred artefacts at Sabarimala were deliberately misrepresented as copper plates in official records and unlawfully removed from the temple premises between 2019 and 2025.
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Investigators allege that the gold was extracted using chemical processes at private facilities in Chennai and parts of Karnataka, generating proceeds of crime that were subsequently concealed and transferred.
The agency is also probing alleged financial irregularities linked to temple offerings and ritual-related transactions.
Background: The Sabarimala gold theft case
The Sabarimala gold theft case came to light following audits and complaints pointing to discrepancies in the gold plating of temple structures and idols, including the Sreekovil door frames and Dwarapalaka idols. The matter triggered widespread political and public scrutiny due to the temple’s religious significance and the involvement of senior officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board.
The case involves allegations of official misconduct, administrative lapses, and a criminal conspiracy to misappropriate gold from sacred artefacts. Given its sensitivity, the Kerala High Court ordered a court-monitored SIT probe, while the ED stepped in to examine the alleged laundering of illicit proceeds.
(With agency inputs)