The Sabarimala gold loot case has taken a new twist with revelations that Unnikrishnan Potti, already arrested in connection with the temple gold plating scandal, had displayed the Sabarimala shrine’s newly made door at the Sreerampura Ayyappa Temple in Bengaluru to collect money from unsuspecting devotees.
The door, crafted at the Sreerampura Ayyappa Temple in 2019, was taken to Chennai for gold plating and then brought back for public display all orchestrated by Potti and his aide, Ramesh Rao. Temple authorities later confirmed that the door was used to collect money, claiming it was part of a religious offering, thereby deceiving devotees under the guise of sanctity.
Temple Trust Secretary N. S. Vishwambharan said Potti had visited the temple before his arrest, prayed quietly, and left without speaking to anyone. Industrialists and devotees who contributed funds later complained after learning about his arrest. “It is unclear how many people lost money; the temple had no role in the collections,” Vishwambharan stated.
Visuals of the display circulated widely on social media earlier, drawing public attention even before investigators linked it to the larger Sabarimala gold plating scam. The latest findings suggest that Potti’s fraudulent activities date back to 2004, when he allegedly collaborated with Smart Creations, Chennai, to remove about 1.5 kilograms of gold from the Dwarapalaka idols and replace it with low-carat plating.
Though Smart Creations claimed to have used 24-carat gold with a 40-year guarantee, the plating began to fade within just four years, a clear indication of substandard gold usage. Investigating agencies now suspect that both Potti and Smart Creations orchestrated the deception, exploiting the faith of devotees and the sanctity of the temple.
Sources say that despite being a mere aide to the Keezhshanthi (assistant priest) since 2004, Potti grew influential by 2009, turning into a middleman who managed gold-plating contracts. His association with Smart Creations deepened during the gold-plating of the Kannimoola Ganapati and Nagaraja temples, sponsored by Kumaran Silks, Chennai, a link investigators now describe as the seed of the ongoing loot.
When the gold plating of the idols began to fade, temple officials, disregarding High Court orders, handed over the idols to Potti on September 7, 2025 for “re-plating” at Smart Creations. The Special Officer later alerted the High Court, exposing the operation and leading to Potti’s arrest.
Investigators have since uncovered property and money-lending documents tied to Potti, suggesting he invested the “loot” money in real estate and finance businesses. With every passing day, the probe continues to expose more layers of deceit.
Devotees across Kerala and Karnataka now wait anxiously, demanding accountability and justice for how sacred trust was betrayed in the name of devotion and gold.
