Sabarimala gold missing case: SIT arrests prime accused Unnikrishnan Potty
Thiruvananthapuram(PTI): The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing cases related to gold missing from Kerala's Sabarimala temple arrested prime accused Unnikrishnan Potty on Friday, officials said.
Police sources said Potty, a Bengaluru-based businessman who was taken into custody from his residence at Pulimath near here on Thursday, was interrogated at the Crime Branch office in Thiruvananthapuram.
After the interrogation, the SIT recorded his arrest on Friday, the sources said. Later, Potty was taken to the government hospital for a medical examination.
The SIT would be shifting him to Pathanamthitta by afternoon. He would be produced before a court in Ranni, Pathanamthitta, later.
The SIT will also seek Potty's custody for detailed interrogation.
The SIT constituted on the Kerala High Court's direction is currently investigating two cases -- one concerning the missing gold from the Dwarapalaka idols and another related to the loss of gold from the Sreekovil door frames.
SIT officials are also looking into the involvement of Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) members and officials in the handing over of gold-clad copper plates of the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) door frames to Potty for electroplating in 2019.
Earlier, the TDB Vigilance Wing had questioned Potty for two days and recorded his statement during its preliminary inquiry.
The high court has set a six-week deadline for the SIT to conclude its probe.
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Former minister C M Ibrahim announces to launch new regional party for Karnataka
Kalaburagi: Two years after being expelled from the Janata Dal (Secular), former minister C.M. Ibrahim has announced that he will launch a new regional political party in Karnataka on January 24, reported Deccan Herald.
Speaking at a meeting organised by the Nava Karnataka Nirmana Andolana in Kalaburagi on Sunday, Ibrahim confirmed the birth of the new party.
The 77-year-old politician stated he would soon be meeting with other like-minded individuals to choose a symbol for the party.
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Ibrahim emphasised that the organisation would be guided by the principles of 12th-century social reformer Basavanna and the architect of the Indian Constitution, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.
A veteran politician, Ibrahim served as Union Civil Aviation Minister during the tenure of H.D. Deve Gowda as Prime Minister and later headed the Karnataka unit of the Janata Dal (Secular). He was expelled from the JD(S) in 2023 on charges of anti-party activities.
His exit from the party followed sharp differences over the JD(S) decision to ally with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). As the then state president of the JD(S), Ibrahim had publicly criticised the alliance, claiming it was finalised without his knowledge. He had also reportedly convened meetings of his supporters and expressed support for the INDIA bloc.
