Daijiworld Media Network - Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 25: In a significant development in the Sabarimala gold theft case, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has recovered a large portion of the stolen gold from a jewellery store in Bellari, Karnataka.
According to officials, the gold was allegedly transferred by key accused Unnikrishnan Potti to his associate Govardhan, who runs the jewellery business. Acting on this lead, a team led by Superintendent of Police Sasidharan conducted a raid and seized over 400 grams of gold from the shop.
In a simultaneous operation, investigators also searched Potti’s residence in Pulimath, Thiruvananthapuram, recovering gold coins and Rs 2 lac in cash.
Potti remains in police custody until October 30, as the SIT intensifies evidence collection. The investigation has now spread beyond Kerala, with officers visiting multiple locations in Bengaluru, Bellari, Hyderabad, and Chennai to trace the movement of the stolen gold and verify the statements of the accused.
On Saturday morning, a three-member SIT team accompanied by Potti was in Bengaluru to conduct further searches. Raids are being carried out at:
• Potti’s local residence,
• The Bellari site where the gold was allegedly sold,
• A Hyderabad-based firm involved in repairing the temple’s sanctum door panels, and
• Smart Creations, a Chennai-based company that supplied gold plating materials for the Sabarimala temple.
Investigators are now checking whether the recovered gold corresponds to the quantity reportedly diverted from the temple renovation works. Govardhan, who had earlier supplied gold for plating the temple’s sanctum panels, is also under detailed scrutiny.
The SIT plans to question several Devaswom Board employees linked to the renovation to uncover possible internal collusion.
With these latest recoveries, officers believe they may have found the missing link that could fully expose the network behind the high-profile Sabarimala gold heist.
So far, the SIT has arrested Unnikrishnan Potti and former temple official Murari Babu. Investigators have filed two FIRs naming 10 accused, and more arrests are expected in the coming days.