The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing cases related to gold missing from Kerala’s Sabarimala temple arrested the main accused, Unnikrishnan Potty, on Friday, officials said, as reported by PTI. Police sources said Potty, a Bengaluru-based businessman who was arrested from his residence at Pulimath near here on Thursday, was questioned at the crime branch office in Thiruvananthapuram. After the interrogation, the SIT recorded his arrest on Friday, the sources told PTI. Later, Potty was taken to the government hospital for a medical examination. The SIT would shift him to Pathanamthitta in the afternoon. He would later be produced before a court in Ranni, Pathanamthitta. The SIT will also seek Potty’s custody for detailed interrogation. The SIT constituted on the direction of the Kerala High Court is currently investigating two cases – one regarding the missing gold from the Dwarapalaka idols and another related to the loss of gold from the Sreekovil door frames. SIT officials are now investigating the possible involvement of members and officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) in the 2019 transfer of gold-clad copper plates of the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) door frames to Potty for electroplating. As part of an earlier preliminary investigation, the TDB Vigilance Wing had already interrogated Potty over two days and recorded his statement. The Supreme Court has given the special investigation team a deadline of six weeks to complete its investigation. (With input from PTI)
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