Crucial Documents Out: 1999 Records and Witness Evidence Prove Dwarapalaka Idols Were Gold-Plated Under Vijay Mallya, Exposing Unnikrishnan Potti’s 2019 Claim That He Took Only Copper for Repairs as False
Thiruvananthapuram: The arguments put forward by Unnikrishnan Potti, the sponsor at the center of the Sabarimala gold-plating controversy, appear to be collapsing. Potti had claimed that the Dwarapalaka (guardian) idols taken to Chennai in 2019 for repairs were made of copper.
However, crucial documents Revealed; Records in the Travancore Devaswom Board’s register and mahazar confirm that the Dwarapalaka idols had already been gold-plated during the 1999 renovation of the Sabarimala Sreekovil, sponsored by industrialist Vijay Mallya. As per the Devaswom Commissioner’s order, the idols were plated with gold on March 27, 1999.
Official records further state that on May 4, 1999, the gold-plated Dwarapalaka idols were installed in front of the sanctum sanctorum. These findings were verified by the Kerala High Court after examining evidence submitted by the Devaswom Vigilance wing. The Board is expected to formally present these documents before the court in the coming days.
Adding weight to this evidence, a key witness—an employee of JJ&N Jewellery in Chennai, originally from Mannar—has testified that he personally worked on the idols under Vijay Mallya’s project. According to his statement; gold was used to plate the two idols.
Meanwhile, Devaswom Vigilance is preparing for a detailed interrogation of Unnikrishnan Potti. Investigators aim to probe several unanswered questions: Where all did Potti conduct fund collections? Was he truly the original sponsor, or were there intermediaries involved? Why did it take over 30 days for the gold-plated sheets to reach Smart Creations in Chennai, and where were the sheets kept during this period? Where exactly were the golden doors exhibited for fundraising?
Beyond the idol plating, Potti’s financial dealings, including his real estate links and fundraising networks, are now under the scanner.