The story of the Sabarimala gold loss has taken new turns, with Adv. K.B. Pradeepkumar, the lawyer of Smart Creations, the firm responsible for the gold plating, reportedly stating that copper layers were brought from Sabarimala and not a single gram of gold had been plated on them. He clarified that his company does not accept, for gold plating, any material previously gold-plated elsewhere.
According to Pradeepkumar, the copper layers were brought to the company in 2019 by Unnikrishnan Potti and others, and 897 grams of gold were used for plating. He further stated that the copper layers weighed 47 kilograms when they were brought to Smart Creations.
Pradeepkumar revealed that officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) accompanied Unnikrishnan Potti when he came to collect the gold-plated layers. The 2019 layers had faded and were therefore re-plated. Under normal circumstances, the company provides a warranty of 20 to 40 years. The firm had also carried out gold plating for the Malikappuram Temple, the Devi temple adjacent to the Sabarimala shrine, regarded as an upadevata and those works remain intact. The advocate said that a detailed statement would be submitted before the High Court shortly.
Is #Sabarimala's gold a target for theft under @pinarayivijayan's watch? Gold plates vanished for 40 days & returned lighter in weight! Nowhere else in India has such a scandalous incident occurred. Who is looting Ayyappa's treasury?@PMOIndia @AmitShah @JPNadda @BJP4Keralam
— V Muraleedharan / വി മുരളീധരൻ ( Modi Ka Parivar) (@VMBJP) October 1, 2025
Now, questions are being raised about what happened to the gold-plated layers dedicated by Vijay Mallya in 1999. It appears that the Devaswom Minister, the Devaswom Board President, and Unnikrishnan Potti have come under a cloud of suspicion. Reports suggest that Vigilance officials will interrogate Potti in connection with financial irregularities.
Sources from Thiruvananthapuram indicate that several crucial documents have been recovered relating to Rs 30 crore worth of land transactions by Unnikrishnan Potti within just three years. Investigations are ongoing. It is alleged that he lent money at exorbitant interest rates and seized land from those unable to repay. These land dealings were reportedly conducted in the names of his mother and wife.
Meanwhile, crucial documents concerning the 30 kilograms of gold dedicated to the Sabarimala shrine by Vijay Mallya have been recovered from the Public Works Department of the Devaswom Board. An important question now arises: How did the Dwarapalakas plated with the gold dedicated by Vijay Mallya in 1998 turn into copper by 2019?
Mallya had handed over 30 kilograms of gold and 1,900 kilograms of copper to the Devaswom Board. The roof of the shrine and the Dwarapalaka idols were plated with this gold. However, it was later claimed that the plating had faded, and the items were sent to Smart Creations for re-plating.
Unnikrishnan Potti has alleged that he received only copper layers. Although the investigation team had demanded documents regarding Vijay Mallya’s gold donation, the Devaswom authorities initially claimed that the documents were missing. However, they were eventually found in the Public Works Department.
Former Union Minister and senior BJP leader V. Muraleedharan questioned who authorised handing over the golden layers to a person accused in an arson case. He alleged that former Devaswom Minister and CPM leader Kadakampalli Surendran and former Devaswom Board President Padmakumar were fully aware of the issue. He demanded an investigation by central agencies.
Reports also suggest that Unnikrishnan Potti is accused in a criminal case involving housebreaking, assault, and arson in Thiruvananthapuram. He is also allegedly involved in a case related to collecting money from outside the state.
Muraleedharan, on October 3, accused the Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan of attempting to turn the Sabarimala shrine into a mercantile commodity, with the support of Kadakampalli Surendran and Padmakumar. He demanded that the government explain how Vijay Mallya’s gold turned into copper, accusing the Devaswom Board of shifting blame to its officials. He asserted that the former Devaswom Minister and Board President are primarily responsible. “Taking out the golden layers and handing them over to someone is a criminal act,” he said.
Muraleedharan further alleged that the removal of the golden layers coincided with the Pinarayi regime’s stand to violate Sabarimala traditions. He questioned the nexus between Unnikrishnan Potti and the Board, asking, “Where were the golden layers kept for 40 days after removal? Who authorised Potti to carry them around for exhibitions?” Despite violations of the Devaswom Manual, the Board allegedly failed to take action. “Repairs should have been done near the shrine itself. Why did the Board hesitate to act?” he asked.
He also pointed out that visuals of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan whispering into Potti’s ear during an event at the Secretariat are public. “Was he invited to the Secretariat? The same Potti is an accused in an arson case and is absconding. How can the temple’s gold be placed in the custody of such a person?” he asked.
Muraleedharan accused the government of treating Hindu temples as free-for-all entities, adding, “Would they take the same approach with places of worship belonging to other religions?” He alleged that the Devaswom Vigilance wing is ineffective. “Those who failed to expose the loot and corruption in Sabarimala cannot be expected to do anything now. Only central agencies can unearth the truth behind this looting,” he said.
Film Actor Jayaram in Trouble
Reports indicate that Unnikrishnan Potti took the golden layers to the Chennai residence of Malayalam–Tamil matinee idol Jayaram, after conducting exhibitions in several places across Chennai, and performed a puja there with his family members. Actor Jayaram and noted singer Veeramani also attended.
Jayaram reportedly told the media at the time that the layers were brought to his house after the plating work was completed. Similar exhibitions were also held in Bengaluru, where Potti allegedly aimed to amass money.
However, the Devaswom Board’s inaction in preventing such private exhibitions of Sabarimala’s sacred doors and frames demonstrates the inefficiency and corruption prevailing within the Board. Reports suggest that Potti has enjoyed VIP status in Sabarimala since 2019, implying that he could not have handled the shrine’s assets without strong influence within the Devaswom Board.
The public now awaits Potti’s interrogation on October 4, hoping that more crucial information will come to light regarding the mysterious disappearance and alleged mismanagement of Sabarimala’s gold.
