Sabarimala gold theft: Priest, 9 TDB officials involved in heist
The 2019 Sabarimala temple gold theft wasn't just a one-man job—it involved a priest, Unnikrishnan Potti, teaming up with at least nine Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) officials.
Together, they allegedly stole gold from the temple's door panels and Dwarapalaka idols, falsifying records to show gold as copper and even pocketing new gold donations meant for the temple.
Theft happened in 3 phases
The group's actions broke temple rules and ignored High Court orders, seriously breaching trust. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested Potti.
Investigators say the theft happened in three phases—removing gold, returning superficially plated gold, and diverting the loot for profit.
Senior TDB officials are now also accused of faking records to cover up the crime.
Potti is in custody till October 30 as the SIT digs deeper, looking at other staff who might be involved and working to recover the stolen gold.