Vigilance Team Recovers Missing Pedestal in Sabarimala Gold Plating Case
Pathanamthitta: Vigilance officials at Sabarimala have recovered a missing gold pedestal, designed for the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) sculptures, from the house of a relative of the sponsor who had earlier reported it missing.
The pedestal’s disappearance was first flagged when the sponsor claimed it had gone missing during a court-ordered probe into discrepancies in the Sabarimala gold plating project. Its recovery from a relative’s home has raised fresh questions, though further details are awaited.
How the recovery unfolded
The High Court had directed that the missing pedestal be located, following which the Travancore Devaswom Board appointed vigilance officials to conduct the probe. The team inspected all the board’s strong rooms before eventually tracing the pedestal to the sponsor’s relative’s house.
As part of the investigation, the sponsor, Unnikrishnan Potti, was summoned and questioned. The vigilance team also searched his residences in Thiruvananthapuram and Bengaluru. Clues led investigators to a relative’s house in Venjaramoodu, where the pedestal was finally recovered. A report will be submitted to the High Court.
Pedestal originally crafted in Chennai
In 2019, under Potti’s sponsorship, Smart Creations in Chennai undertook gold plating of the copper panels of the Dwarapalaka sculptures. At the same time, work began on producing a pedestal for the sculptures.
The pedestal was made using three sovereigns of gold combined with other metals. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, it was transported to Sannidhanam with the help of a small group of devotees.
However, when the pedestal was being fitted, Devaswom Board officials pointed out size discrepancies. “After that, I do not know what happened,” the sponsor said. He added, “Although I had provided the pedestal, it could not be attached to the Dwarapalaka sculpture due to size differences.”