The Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Ranni, on Thursday (October 30, 2025) remanded Unnikrishnan Potti, the prime accused in cases related to the theft of gold from Sabarimala, in judicial custody.
Mr. Potti was produced before the court in the afternoon after the completion of his custody with the Special Investigation Team (SIT). The court asked him whether he had any complaints against the SIT, to which he replied in the negative. He, at he same time, told the court that he was suffering from various ailments and was under regular medication.
In response, the prosecutor informed the court that arrangements will be made to ensure Mr. Potti receives medical attention in jail. The prosecution also submitted that he was yet to be arrested in the case registered in connection with the missing gold from the door frame of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.
He was subsequently remanded in judicial custody and shifted to the Special Jail in Thiruvananthapuram. The police have been directed to produce him again on Monday.
Mr. Potti had been in the SIT in connection with the alleged theft of gold from the gold-covered copper plates of the Dwarapalaka (door guardian) idols on the sanctum sanctorum of the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple. Former Sabarimala Administrative Officer B. Murari Babu has been in SIT custody for four days.
According to the statement given by Mr. Potti, the gold had been separated from the dwarapalaka idols and later sold to a jeweller named Govardhan in Ballari, Karnataka. The gold was recovered from Ballari and brought to the court earlier this week. It comprised a total of 608 g of gold, which includes five bars weighing 100 g each and one bar weighing 74 g, along with some gold coins.
Published – October 30, 2025 06:40 pm IST
