Thiruvananthapuram, October 23: A special investigation team (SIT) appointed by the Kerala High Court has detained a Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) official for questioning in connection with the alleged misappropriation of gold-plated copper moulds at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, police officials said on Thursday.
The SIT took Murari Babu, a senior TDB official, into custody from his home in Perunna, Kottayam, late on Wednesday night, officials said. He is being questioned at the Crime Branch office in Enchakkal, Thiruvananthapuram.
Babu was earlier named an accused in the case based on a TDB Vigilance report that held him responsible for submitting a false metallurgical assessment in 2019, stating that the gold-plated temple coverings were made of pure copper. The report allegedly enabled the transfer of the artefacts to Unnikrishnan Potti, the prime suspect, for restoration.
The case, which has triggered political and religious controversy in Kerala, surfaced after Potti claimed that four gold-plated panels he had donated to the temple were missing. A subsequent TDB Vigilance probe traced the missing panels to the house of Potti’s sister in Thiruvananthapuram, prompting the High Court to order a comprehensive SIT investigation into TDB’s transactions involving the suspect.
Officials said the returned panels were found to weigh significantly less after restoration at a Chennai-based metal works unit. The SIT suspects Potti and his associates replicated or smelted the original gilded casings and possibly sold them to private collectors.
Investigators have also uncovered video evidence allegedly showing that Potti leased the artefacts to wealthy devotees, including film stars, for private worship in exchange for money.
The SIT later shifted focus to Babu, alleging that his false certification on the metal composition helped facilitate the fraud. He has since been suspended from service by the TDB and expelled from the Nair Service Society (NSS), where he had served as vice president of the Perunna taluk union.
The SIT has arraigned nine serving and retired TDB officials in the case and widened its probe to include two former TDB presidents and Devaswom Commissioners, who are being investigated for possible complicity or oversight.
Investigators are also examining how Potti, who worked as an assistant to a lower-level priest between 2004 and 2008, gained influence within the temple administration and became known for attracting wealthy donors and organising lavish rituals and feasts.
The SIT continues to question several suspects and review forensic evidence to determine whether the stolen gold was melted down or sold for private worship, officials said.
