Sabarimala missing gold case: Court grants SIT custody of prime accused Potty
Pathanamthitta (Kerala) (PTI): A local court in Ranni here on Friday granted custody of Unnikrishnan Potty, the prime accused in the Sabarimala gold missing case, to the SIT probing the matter.
The Judicial First Class Magistrate Court granted the custody of Potty to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) till October 30.
The accused claimed he had been 'trapped' by somone.
"Those who trapped me will come before the law," he told reporters while being taken out of the court.
A person in the crowd gathered outside the court hurled a footwear at Potty as he was being escorted out of the court.
Earlier in the day, the SIT arrested Potty, a Bengaluru-based businessman, after more than 14 hours of interrogation at the Crime Branch office in Thiruvananthapuram.
He was picked up from his residence in Pulimath near Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday.
Potty had sponsored the gold electroplating of the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) door frames at Sabarimala in 2019 and made several donations to the temple.
The Kerala High Court recently found that the gold-clad plates of the Dwarapalaka idols weighed 42.8 kg when handed over to Potty for electroplating, but the weight reduced to 38.2 kg when it reached Chennai-based firm Smart Creations for processing.
Following these findings, the HC directed the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) Vigilance Wing to conduct a preliminary probe, which later led to the formation of an SIT to investigate the case.
The SIT is probing two related cases — the missing gold from the Dwarapalaka idols and the loss of gold from the Sreekovil door frames.
Potty is the prime accused in both cases, along with some TDB officials and members of the 2019 board.
Sources said Potty was arrested around 2 am and taken to the government hospital in Thiruvananthapuram for a medical examination.
Later, he was transferred to the Judicial First Class Magistrate's Court, Ranni, as part of the remand procedure.
During the hearing, the prosecution sought 14 days' custody, citing the need for detailed interrogation and evidence collection from multiple locations, including other states.
The prosecution submitted that a detailed investigation be conducted into the Chennai-bsed firm Smart Creations and the individuals involved in the conspiracy behind the gold lost from Sabarimala.
Potty's counsel opposed the request, raising concerns about his health.
The magistrate, however, accepted the prosecution's plea and granted custody till October 30. Potty was later shifted to the Pathanamthitta police camp.
Potty's lawyer said the court has directed that his client undergo a daily medical examination during the custody period.
"We had objected to the prosecution's petition seeking Potty's custody and raised concerns about his health. A bail petition will be moved later," he said.
The counsel added that Potty has agreed to cooperate fully with the investigation but declined to make any further comments.
The Kerala High Court has set a six-week deadline for the SIT to complete the probe.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Minister Patil chairs industry meetings to chart growth for key sectors in Karnataka
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister M B Patil on Tuesday chaired meetings with industry representatives from the aerospace and defence, machine tools, auto/EV, and green energy sectors to discuss sector growth and government support measures.
The meetings were attended by leading industrialists and their representatives, with some participating virtually.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister for Large and Medium Industries said Karnataka is at the forefront of the country’s aerospace and defence sectors.
He noted that Suzuki and Toyota plan to launch aerial taxi services in Japan by 2028, with Bengaluru-based Sasmos supplying electrical equipment for the project.
Industrialists suggested introducing similar “fly-taxi” services in Karnataka through an appropriate policy, which Patil said would be examined seriously.
The minister highlighted the need to establish testing centres and Common Facility Centres for the aerospace and defence industries and assured that these facilities would be provided.
Suggestions were also made to prepare a comprehensive roadmap for sector growth.
Karnataka has urged the Central Government to approve Defence Corridor projects in the Bengaluru North–Kolar–Chikkaballapur and Dharawada–Vijayapura–Belagavi regions.
Industrialists also suggested a corridor between Bengaluru and Mysuru, Patil said.
He said Karnataka aims to become a hub for defence electronics manufacturing, with plans to establish a 200-acre Defence Electronics Park and a 100-acre Avionics and Sensor Park.
These projects will be implemented once the Special Investment Region is operational, and land availability will not be an issue.
On the machine tools sector, Patil said the industry has recorded an annual turnover of Rs 36,500 crore and is witnessing steady growth.
Large-scale exhibitions have increased demand, and the state must strengthen its capabilities to develop control systems for heavy machinery. One testing unit is already operational in Bengaluru, with another planned for Tumakuru. Expansion of vocational training institutes in industrial areas is also underway.
In the Auto and EV sector, Vision Group members highlighted the need for a network of dry ports and more EV charging stations across the state.
Patil noted that the Tata Group is manufacturing EV buses in Dharawada for nationwide supply. Plans for mini excavator production and export facilitation were also discussed, along with the establishment of a testing facility for two-wheeler EVs.
For the Green Energy sector, the group emphasised the need for a suitable policy on battery-based energy storage and the establishment of data centres.
Patil assured that the government will seriously consider all suggestions and respond positively.
_vb_21.jpeg)