Chennai: Actor Jayaram has spoken about a controversial ceremony that took place in Chennai, connected to the Sabarimala gold plating scandal and organized by the now-accused Unnikrishnan Potti.
Speaking to Asianet News, Jayaram said that the religious ceremony captured in the widely circulated visuals did not occur at his residence, contrary to what some might believe. Instead, he explained that he attended the function after receiving a personal invitation from Unnikrishnan Potti, whom he had previously met during visits to Sabarimala.
According to Jayaram, he was informed that the ceremony involved what was presented as the actual door of the Sabarimala temple. The event itself took place at a factory located in Ambattur, not at any private residence. The actor also revealed that he was responsible for extending an invitation to Veeramani for the occasion. At the time, Jayaram said he felt it was a tremendous blessing to be part of what he believed was a sacred ceremony.
However, Jayaram was adamant that he had no knowledge of any fundraising activities connected to the event. He stressed that he was completely unaware of such financial dealings and had no involvement in any monetary transactions. The ceremony drew attendance from several other notable personalities alongside Jayaram. The controversial footage that has since surfaced dates back to 2019, when the exhibition was marketed as featuring the authentic door frame of the Sabarimala sanctum sanctorum.
Meanwhile, investigative agencies have intensified their probe into Unnikrishnan Potti's financial activities. The intelligence wing has launched a comprehensive investigation into the business dealings of Unnikrishnan Potti, who is among the key sponsors behind the Sabarimala gold plating project.
Initial findings have uncovered substantial financial transactions running into crores, particularly in the capital city. Investigators are now focusing on Unnikrishnan Potti's extensive land acquisition activities, which appear to have involved significant sums of money.
The probe has revealed that Unnikrishnan Potti allegedly used a systematic approach to acquire properties across multiple locations. His method reportedly involved providing loans at extremely high interest rates, then taking ownership of land when borrowers defaulted. Documentation shows that land transactions worth more than Rs 30 crores were completed within just a three-year period.
Investigators have also identified a former Devaswom contractor who apparently served as Unnikrishnan Potti's main intermediary for these land deals in the capital. Further scrutiny has revealed that these property transactions were strategically registered not only under Unnikrishnan Potti's name but also under the names of his wife and mother.
