As the Sabarimala idol dispute intensifies, a businessman is being investigated.
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Investigations are being conducted into claims of theft against priest Unnikrishnan Potty as the dispute over gold-plated Dwarapalaka idols at Sabarimala temple intensifies.
The dispute surrounding the gold-plated copper sheets that encased the "Dwarapalaka" idols at the Sabarimala temple in Kerala grew more intense on Friday. Opposition parties called for a more thorough investigation into the matter, while accusations of fraud and theft were made against Unnikrishnan Potty, a priest-turned-businessman who funded the gold plating in 2019.
The controversy started last month when the Special Commissioner (Sabarimala) claimed in a report to the High Court that the Dwarapalaka idols' gold-plated copper sheets had been recently transported to Chennai for electroplating and repairs without the required approval from the court and him. The HC bench raised suspicions of theft during the hearing by pointing out that when the gold plates were given to their sponsor, Potty, on a similar occasion in 2019, their weight had decreased by about 4 kilograms. In order to investigate the disparities, the HC directed the Chief Vigilance and Security Officer of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which is in charge of running the shrine, to conduct an investigation.
The controversy escalated last week when the TDB Vigilance wing discovered two gold pedestals from Potty's family member's home that were part of the carvings outside the temple's main sanctum sanctorum. This led to additional questions regarding Potty's involvement in the whole dispute. The HC designated retired judge KT Sankaran as the head of a panel to carry out a thorough inventory of all valuables, including gold, silver, and other jewels, at the Sabarimala temple on September 29.
Potty, a businessman from Bengaluru who is involved in the real estate market and was formerly a junior priest at Sabarimala, is in the dock for allegedly soliciting money from multiple people on behalf of Sabarimala and conspiring with Devaswom officials to remove copper sheets from the temple under the pretext of repairs. Private individuals are not permitted to manage or repair temple property, according to the temple handbook. The handbook also prohibits the removal of temple property for repairs, particularly gold objects and artifacts.
On Friday, opposition leader VD Satheesan accused Potti and Devaswom officials of stealing gold from the plates in 2019.
The HC discovered that 40 days later in 2019, the gold plates had arrived at the Chennai-based company for repairs after being removed from the Sabarimala temple. All those years ago, where were the gold plates taken? Who hired Unnikrishnan Potty to do the repairs, and who is he? The handbook states unequivocally that any gold polishing of the plates must be done on temple property. This whole story involves the LDF government and the Devaswom Board. "This is blatant gold theft," he declared.
Pictures and videos of Potty performing ceremonies with the gold plates in 2019 surfaced on Friday. The purported locations were a factory outside of Chennai and the home of actor Jayaram following repairs. The images raised the question of who gave him permission to perform ceremonies using the gold-plated sheets that were supposed to be placed at Sabarimala.
According to actor Jayaram, Potty invited him to the factory's "pooja" involving the gold-plated sheets. "I have been in contact with him for many years, having first met him at Sabarimala. He asked me to come to the event. The sheets are revered because they were first put up at Sabarimala. I asked them to set up the same sheets in my home's prayer room for a short while on the way back. They were on their way to my house. They complied and stayed at my house for a short while with the sheets. I feel like I was a naive believer now," he remarked.
He went on to say, "Anyone who cheats in Sabarimala's name must be punished."
Potty refused to address the matter. On Saturday, he is anticipated to appear for interrogation before the Devaswom (Vigilance) officials.
On Friday, TDB president PS Prasanth informed reporters that the organization would ask the High Court to order a comprehensive investigation into all transactions involving the gold-plated sheets since 1998.
According to media reports, Potty has raised money and cheated on Sabarimala. We maintain that every claim of dishonesty or misconduct since 1998 needs to be looked into. We are demanding a thorough investigation, but the Devaswom Board (Vigilance) SP is already probing. Prasanth stated, "We have no intention of protecting any officers.
According to Devaswom Minister VN Vasavan, his government will follow the High Court's rulings. "All those involved in misconduct should be investigated." He stated that the Devaswom (Vigilance) would shortly submit its report.
Simultaneously, former union minister and BJP leader V Muraleedharan challenged the LDF government to turn over the investigation to the CBI.
"While it is determined to break Sabarimala customs, it is also dishonestly embezzling the temple's property. The BJP leader claimed that the actions of the government had wounded the feelings of the faithful.
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