Gold Scandal Unveiled: Mysteries of Lord Ayyappa's Shrine

The president of Travancore Devaswom Board, P S Prasanth, has revealed that the discovery of missing gold from the Lord Ayyappa shrine was due to failure in informing the High Court about renovations. Prasanth stresses the significance of the ongoing investigation and distances himself from allegations and connections with businessman Unnikrishnan Potty.

The president of the Travancore Devaswom Board, P S Prasanth, stated on Saturday that the revelation of missing gold from the Lord Ayyappa shrine was linked to the Board's oversight in informing the High Court about renovation work involving the 'Dwarapalaka' idols.

Prasanth assured the public that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) would retrieve the lost gold and expressed his confidence in the probe. He denied any connections with businessman Unnikrishnan Potty, a key figure in the scandal, alleged to have aimed to implicate Prasanth.

Additionally, the SIT has arrested Potty along with a former Devaswom administrative officer, B Murari Babu, for their involvement in the disappearance of gold from the shrine. The High Court initiated action after discovering unauthorized removal of gold claddings, spurring the ongoing investigation.

(With inputs from agencies.)