Two persons, including a Ballari-based gold merchant, were arrested on Friday by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged theft of gold from the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple. The arrested have been identified as Pankaj Bhandari and Govardhan, a jewellery trader from Ballari. Both were taken into custody and brought to the Crime Branch office in Thiruvananthapuram. With these arrests, the total number of accused in the case has increased to nine.
Allegations in the case
According to investigators, in 2019, Unnikrishnan Potty, a former priest at the Sabarimala temple from Bengaluru, was entrusted with re-coating the gold-plated coverings of the temple idols and doorframes. During the re-coating process, gold was allegedly removed from the Dwarapalaka idols and the Sreekovil doorframes.
The SIT claims that around 4 kg of gold went missing after the artefacts were returned. Of this, Potty allegedly handed over about 400 grams of gold to Govardhan through an intermediary. Earlier searches at Govardhan’s jewellery shop reportedly led to the seizure of over 400 grams of gold.
The investigation further revealed that the separated gold was extracted during the re-coating process. Potty is said to have confessed to the crime, and investigators allege that he had close links with Bhandari.
False statements and court observations
During the early stages of the probe, Bhandari allegedly gave misleading statements, claiming that the items received for re-coating were not gold-plated. These statements raised serious doubts among investigators. It is also alleged that misleading information was provided to the Devaswom Vigilance and the court during the initial inquiry.
The Kerala High Court, while rejecting bail pleas, described the case as a rare instance where those entrusted with safeguarding temple assets were involved in wrongdoing. The court expressed dissatisfaction over delays in the investigation, warned the SIT against complacency, and sought explanations on why certain Devaswom Board members were not named as accused.
ED probe and further action
Meanwhile, the High Court has allowed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to obtain copies of FIRs registered by the SIT and Kerala Police, paving the way for a money-laundering probe linked to the case.
Both accused, the eighth and ninth in the case, will be produced before the Vigilance Court in Kollam for remand proceedings. The SIT was formed on the High Court’s directions and has been granted additional time to complete the investigation.