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In a breakthrough in the Sabarimala gold theft investigation, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Thursday, October 16, arrested priest-turned-entrepreneur Unnikrishnan Potti, the main accused in two cases pertaining to the alleged gold misuse from the sacred ornaments of the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple. He is the main accused in the Sabarimala temple gold theft case. He allegedly stolen gold from Dwarapalaka idols and Sreekovil door frames in the name of electroplating in 2019. He has shifted holy items across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh.
Unnikrishnan Potti, or Unni Mukundan, was born on the 22nd of September 1987 in Thrissur, Kerala. He belonged to Pulimath in the Kilimanoor area and earlier used to work with his father at the Pulimath Devi Temple and later served as a junior priest at various temples, including the Sriramapura Ayyappa Temple in Bengaluru. Potti, was the assistant of a priest appointed by TDB during the early 2010s at Sabarimala.
Unnikrishnan Potti is a 38 years old priest-turned-businessman.
Unnikrishnan Potti’s parents are Mukundan Nair and Roji Mukundan. He has an elder sister named Karthika. Although his family is originally from Kerala, he spent part of his childhood in Ahmedabad.
There is no verified information of his net worth on public social media platform. However, in recent move of investigation, The SIT disclosed that Potty has no regular income source but suddenly started to get significant funds. A review of income tax returns from 2017 to 2025 indicates that Potty has no fixed income from business or other sources. This year, Rs 10.85 lakh was deposited into the account of Kamakshi Enterprises. This huge and random transaction caused suspicion on him. The Devaswom Vigilance report also contains serious allegations.
Unnikrishnan Potti has been accused of stealing nearly 2 kilograms of gold from the Sabarimala temple’s Dwarapalaka idols and Sreekovil door frames in 2019. He allegedly transported these sacred artefacts to Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh for “electroplating work,” but later tests confirmed that a significant amount of gold was missing.
Sabarimala temple is famous for being a major pilgrimage site dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, drawing millions of devotees annually. It is known for its location on a hilltop in the Kerala forests, a major pilgrimage season that includes the Mandala-Makaravilakku festival, and the spiritual journey pilgrims undertake to reach it. The temple also gained significant media attention following a Supreme Court ruling on women's entry and the tradition surrounding the appearance of the Makara Jyothi.
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