E-Paper
ED summons actor Jayaram for questioning in Sabarimala gold theft case
Actor Jayaram has been summoned by the ED for questioning over alleged gold misappropriation linked to the Sabarimala temple.
Actor Jayaram has been summoned for questioning by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) at its office in Kochi next week in connection with its probe into the misappropriation of gold assets from the Sabarimala temple, people familiar with the matter confirmed.
Jayaram, a leading actor in South India, was previously interrogated by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Kerala police at his residence in Chennai, particularly about his links with Unnikrishnan Potty, the priest-turned-real estate businessman who is at the centre of the case. Potty, the first accused in the case and currently out on bail, is accused of pilfering gold from the door frames of the Sabarimala temple’s sanctum sanctorum and the gold-clad sheets covering the ‘dwarapalaka’ (guardian) idols of the temple under the guise of “re-plating” them with gold in 2019.
When the incident came to light last year following the High Court’s cognizance of a report submitted by a senior police official, photos and videos of Jayaram taking part in rituals along with Potty in the presence of the door frames and the ‘dwarapalaka’ sheets were doing rounds. At the time, Jayaram had clarified that he became acquainted with Potty during his trips to the Sabarimala temple and that the latter invited him on multiple occasions for prayers in the presence of the gold assets of the Sabarimala temple. The actor revealed that the door frames and the ‘dwarapalaka’ sheets were once brought for a few minutes at his Chennai residence. The actor had reportedly told the police that he was completely unaware that gold was allegedly misappropriated from the sheets and the door frames.
The ED will be looking to probe if an exchange of money was taken place between Jayaram and Potty in the name of rituals associated with the Sabarimala gold assets. It is being alleged that Potty made several individuals, including celebrities, believe that if they conducted prayers at their homes in the presence of the Sabarimala door frames, it would bring them luck.
The Kochi unit of the ED had registered an enforcement case information report (ECIR) under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) last month. It has filed a petition before the special court in Kollam demanding case-related documents from the SIT.
HC orders vigilance inquiry
The High Court on Monday ordered a vigilance probe into alleged misappropriation of gold and cash in connection with the installation of a new temple flag mast in 2017.
The high court was informed that a special investigation team had conducted a preliminary inquiry into the alleged misappropriation. After examining records of the chief vigilance officer of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which administers the temple, the SIT had reported to the court discrepancies in the gold used for the flag mast. Though 9573.010 gram of gold was available, the quantity utilised for the flag mast was 9340.200 gram. The high court had noted that the records indicated a serious procedural lapse as they do not reflect the specific quantity of gold donated by each individual.
The chief vigilance officer of the TDB submitted that a detailed inquiry was necessary to bring out the truth behind the lapses.
