SIT Arrests Sabarimala Gold Case Accused
Thiruvananthapuram: The Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing cases related to gold missing from Kerala’s Sabarimala temple, arrested the prime accused Unnikrishnan Potty on Friday, officials said.
Police sources said Potty, a Bengaluru-based businessman who was detained from his home in Pulimath near here on Thursday, was being interrogated at the Crime Branch office in Thiruvananthapuram.
Sources said that after interrogation, the SIT recorded his arrest on Friday.
Potty was then taken to a government hospital for a medical check-up.
SIT would send him to Pathanamthitta in the afternoon.
Later, Ranni would be produced before a court in Pathanamthitta.
The SIT will also seek custody of Potty for detailed interrogation.
The SIT constituted on the orders of the Kerala High Court is currently investigating two cases; one is about the lost gold in Dwarapalaka idols and the other is about the loss of gold in Sreekovil door frames.
SIT officials are also investigating the involvement of Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) members and officials in the process of handing over gold-plated copper plates of Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) door frames to Potty for electroplating in 2019.
Earlier, TDB Vigilance Wing had questioned Potty for two days and recorded his statement during preliminary investigation.
The high court gave six weeks’ time to the SIT to conclude its investigation. PTI TBA
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