During the investigation, Jayaram confirmed that the gold plates, which were meant to remain at the Sannidhanam of the Sabarimala temple, had been brought to his Chennai home
Jayaram
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Sabarimala gold heist case questioned actor Jayaram, a move that investigators describe as crucial in establishing the alleged diversion of gold plates meant for the hill shrine.
The questioning was carried out at the actor’s residence in Chennai, following which the SIT indicated that Jayaram would be arraigned as a key witness in the case.
Jayaram questioned by SIT
In his statement, Jayaram confirmed that the gold plates, which were meant to remain at the Sannidhanam of the Sabarimala temple, had been brought to his Chennai home.
This, investigators said, corroborates the police finding that the plates were transported out of Kerala, lending strength to the prosecution’s claim that temple assets were moved without authorisation.
However, the SIT has made it clear that it is not, at present, contemplating any legal action against the actor.
The investigation has established that Jayaram had no financial dealings with the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potti, or with any of the other accused in the case.
According to the SIT, Jayaram’s interactions were limited to faith-based and religious contexts.
Jayaram told investigators that he had known Unnikrishnan Potti for several decades through his association with Sabarimala, which he has been visiting regularly for nearly five decades. He stated that Potti had convinced him that conducting poojas on the newly crafted gold plates meant for the Sabarimala sanctum would bring spiritual merit and prosperity.
Trusting Potti on religious grounds, Jayaram agreed to host the rituals, he said. The actor also confirmed that he participated in pujas conducted on the gold plates at Smart Creations in Chennai and later took part in a ceremonial procession at a temple in Kottayam.
He maintained that he had no knowledge about any financial fraud or misappropriation linked to the gold plates.
With Jayaram agreeing to depose before the court, the SIT considers his testimony significant, particularly in establishing the movement and public display of the gold plates outside the temple premises.
ED conducts 3 raids in Sabrimala gold case
The Enforcement Directorate on 20 January conducted searches in three states as part of its money laundering investigation into the Sabarimala alleged gold loss case of Kerala, officials said.
About 21 locations across Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are being raided under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The premises linked to the main accused, Unnikrishnan Potti, in Bengaluru and former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president A Padmakumar in Kerala, apart from jewellers, were covered by the federal probe agency as part of the action.
The probe is related to a series of irregularities, including official misconduct, administrative lapses and a criminal conspiracy to misappropriate the gold from the various artifacts of the Lord Ayyappa shrine. The charges also include the loss of gold from the gold-clad copper plates of the 'Dwarapalaka' (guardian deity) idols and the door frames of the 'Sreekovil' (sanctum sanctorum) of the temple.
ED officials said preliminary investigation shows that gold-clad sacred artifacts were deliberately misrepresented as "copper plates" in official records and unlawfully removed from the temple premises between 2019 and 2025.
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