Thiruvananthapuram | CPI(M) MLA Kadakampally Surendran on Thursday alleged that Sabarimala gold loss case prime accused Unnikrishnan Potty was conspiring against him to tarnish his image ahead of the state Assembly election.

He was responding to reporters here after Potty approached the police on Wednesday, alleging that Surendran, along with a woman named Prathibha, had conspired to raise fake allegations that she was cheated by him in a land deal.

Potty filed the complaint after Prathibha recently approached the Special Investigation Team (SIT) claiming that the accused had cheated her in a land transaction.

He also alleged that Prathibha’s complaint to the SIT was an attempt to divert attention from the Sabarimala gold loss case in which Surendran’s role is being probed.

Surendran denied the allegation and said he did not know the woman mentioned in Potty’s complaint.

He said Potty’s complaint mentioned a financial settlement in 2024 involving Prathibha, himself and Potty following a complaint filed at the Thumba police station earlier.

Surendran said he had last visited the Thumba police station around 10 years ago for its inauguration.

“Not just Thumba police station, I have not set foot in any police station. I contacted the police and checked whether I had visited there. They also said they could not recollect any such visit,” he said.

He alleged that there was a conspiracy behind the complaint.

“I know who is behind this complaint. I will come back in one or two weeks and reveal it,” he said.

Surendran said the intention behind Potty’s complaint was to tarnish his image.

“After there were reports that I would contest the election and opinion polls claiming that the LDF and I have an upper hand, this is a move to humiliate me,” he said.

Potty is the first accused in two cases related to the loss of gold from artefacts at the Sabarimala temple and was recently released on bail.

In his complaint, Potty claimed that he had purchased 10 cents of land from Prathibha in 2010. Later, the land was rented out to her for Rs 25,000 per month.

However, after she defaulted on the payments, she was evicted following legal proceedings.

Potty also alleged that in 2019, he tried to sell the land to a person arranged by Prathibha, but the deal collapsed, after which the property was sold to another person in 2024.