It Was Copper, Not Gold: Unnikrishnan Potti Targets Devaswom Board in Sabarimala Gold Case
Thiruvananthapuram: In the Sabarimala gold plating controversy, Unnikrishnan Potti denied the allegations before the Vigilance. Repeating his earlier statement, Potti said that what he had received were copper sheets. According to Potti, the incident occurred due to an error by the officials. He said that the officials had handed over copper sheets as recorded in the documents, and questioned why he should be blamed for an official lapse.
Potti also said that he came to know about the Devaswom Manual only later. His statement was recorded by the Devaswom Vigilance yesterday. Unnikrishnan Potti was questioned for about four hours. He told the media that he had fully cooperated with the investigation and had answered all the questions of the inquiry team. The statement was recorded under the leadership of SP Sunil Kumar.
Potti’s statements have, however, placed the Travancore Devaswom Board in a difficult position. His main claim — that the sheets handed over from the temple were copper — directly contradicts earlier records that confirmed gold plating was done by UB Group Chairman Vijay Mallya in 1999. The Board has yet to clarify what happened to the original gold-plated panels from the Dwarapalaka sculptures.
Meanwhile, the police have sought legal advice on conducting a preliminary inquiry into the case. Once permission is granted, an initial investigation will be launched under the supervision of the Pathanamthitta Superintendent of Police. Additionally, the Travancore Devaswom Board plans to approach the Kerala High Court requesting a comprehensive investigation into the matter.