PATHANAMTHITTA: The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) vigilance, in its final report submitted to the Kerala High Court, has raised serious questions on the financial background of Bengaluru-based businessman Unnikrishnan Potti who sponsored multiple gold-plating works at the Sabarimala sreekovil (sanctom sanctorum). The vigilance report states that Potti had no permanent source of income, even when he made large donations to the hill shrine over the years.
As part of the preliminary inquiry ordered by the High Court, the vigilance examined Potti’s income tax returns for the period 2017-2025 through his chartered accountant. Based on the report, a Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted in line with an HC directive, is carrying out an investigation.
“No permanent income has been revealed. In 2025-26, `10.85 lakh was credited to his bank account from Kamakshi Enterprises under the category of ‘Other Social or Community Service’,” the TDB vigilance report said.
The vigilance has recommended a detailed probe into the works sponsored by Potti at Sabarimala. The inquiry found that the repair and gold plating of the sreekovil door, claimed to have been sponsored by Potti, were actually funded by a Ballari-based businessman, Govardanan. Similarly, the gold plating of the sreekovil door frame, also attributed to Potti, was sponsored by another Bengaluru-based businessman, Ajikumar.
Potti had also made several donations to the temple. In January 2025, he sponsored various pujas and decorative works on either side of the 18th sacred steps at the temple. He contributed Rs 10 lakh for a lift at the Annadhana Mandapam and Rs 6 lakh for annadhanam (free meal service). In 2017, he had donated Rs 8.2 lakh along with 17 tonnes of rice and 30 tonnes of vegetables to the temple, it said.
The vigilance report has pointed out lapses on the part of nine Devaswom Board officials for handing over gold-cladded plates of dwarapalaka sculptures to Potti in 2019. The officials concerned are former administrative officer B Murari Babu, former executive officer D Sudish Kumar, former secretary S Jayashree, assistant engineer K Sunil Kumar, administrative officer S Sreekumar, former Thiruvabharanam Commissioners K S Baiju and R J Radhakrishnan, former executive officer V S Rajendraprasad and former administrative officer K Rajendran Nair.
According to sources, the two cases Crime Branch registered on Saturday have been transferred to the SIT. The cases relate to missing gold from the dwarapalaka idols and the sreekovil door, a source said. In both cases, Potti has been named as the first accused, with several TDB officials also arraigned for alleged lapses.
TDB calls for probe since 1998
T’Puram: The latest repair of Sabarimala’s gold-plated panels were done in adherence to rules, TDB president P S Prasanth said, while calling for a probe into all the developments since the gold cladding in 1998. “All rules were followed in 2025. I took the decision not to hand over the panels to Potti,” he said.
