Recently, the Special Investigations Team (SIT) has conducted an interrogation of well-known Malayalam actor Jayaram regarding his role in the Sabarimala temple gold misappropriation and theft investigation. The SIT was able to take a statement from Jayaram at his house in Chennai, concerning his involvement in religious practices that have included handling gold plates from the Sabarimala temple that were used in the puja as artefacts. This has created much attention in the media in India.
The SIT’s interest in Jayaram was due to the distribution of videos and photos that were shared in 2019 that included Jayaram as part of a puja ceremony in which gold plates that were returned from the Sabarimala temple to be gold plated were displayed. The showing of these artefacts is a critical piece of evidence in the ongoing investigation into the alleged tampering and/or misappropriation of the gold used to decorate the Dwarapalakas (guardian deities) of the temple and the parts of the Sanctum Sanctorum of the temple (the Sreekovil).
Jayaram came to the attention of the SIT because of the photographs and video images of the plates being displayed in his home during the puja by the accused Unnikrishnan Potty, who is the lead person in the gold plating controversy as well as the related fraud investigation.
Jayaram’s Statement and Defense
During questioning, Jayaram clarified that:
Neither he nor Unnikrishnan Potty (or any of the other defendants) have any financial or business deals together.
The majority of his relationship with Potty has been through the course of 40-50 annual pilgrimages to Sabarimala, which he states to be between 40-50 years long. He believes these rituals to be of a spiritual nature, and Potty informs him that keeping the newly made gold plates at home while praying would provide him with spiritual merit and wealth.
He took part in some puja ceremonies with the gold plates at Smart Creations in Chennai and then took part in a ceremonial procession to a temple in Kottayam, but maintains that he didn’t know that any fraud or misappropriation had occurred in relation to them.
The actor made himself clear by saying that his presence and participation were only due to devotion and tradition and did not constitute wrongdoing. As noted by the investigators, Jayaram is not now being considered as a defendant but rather as a witness in the investigation of the movement of Temple assets.
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Role as Potential Key Witness
It has recently been reported that the Special Investigation Team of Kerala Police (SIT) has completed questioning Jayaram (Sabarimala temple administrative office) and that he may be called as a witness during court proceedings related to the Sabarimala Gold Case.
Jayaram’s testimony is expected to provide key information regarding the dates and events surrounding the removal of items from Sannidhanam (the area at Sabarimala where the deity of Lord Ayyappa resides) to outside Kerala and the subsequent public display of those items.
Broader context of Sabarimala Gold case
At this time, investigators have stated that they have no plans to take legal action against Jayaram. Investigators do not believe Jayaram was involved in any illegal acts or improper financial dealings in the Sabarimala Gold case.
Already, the investigation into the Sabarimala gold case is one of the highest-profile cases within Kerala and was considered politically sensitive. The investigation into the theft of gold and other items associated with the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple has included the names of numerous individuals, such as temple officials, private individuals and even political figures throughout India.
The SIT continues to explore all aspects of removing gold from the Dwarapalaka (the two statues which stand guard outside at the entrance of the sanctuary) and the doors of the temple; investigating where the gold was removed, what actions were taken after the removal of the gold and how the gold was dealt with once it had been removed. Many individuals (including several former members of the Travancore Devaswom Board) have been arrested so far in connection with the Sabarimala Gold case, and some of them have already obtained statutory bail because of delays in submitting charges.
The Kerala High Court’s scrutiny of the slow progress of this investigation marks the start of increased scrutiny by the public of the way that Jayaram has already established himself within the devotees of Ayyappa through his acting career and how it will now be impacted by the outcome of this investigation. Legal experts and investigators also want to ensure that no links are left unexamined in this very convoluted case.
Whether religious, social, or financial, all links must be explored to ensure that the case is complete when either Jayaram’s testimony or any other related evidence is available to support or refute the allegations of illegal conduct against the accused in this case. At this time, it is impossible to predict what impact any potential testimony by Jayaram might have on the evidence, jury selection, or trial proceeding against the various accused parties in this case.
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