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Sabarimala gold loss case: Kerala HC rejects CEO's plea against arrest

The SIT had alleged that Bhandari and Roddam, along with first accused Unnikrishnan Potty, planned the theft of gold that was entrusted to them for electroplating work

Sabarimala Temple (Image: Adobe Stock)
Sabarimala Temple (Image: Adobe Stock)
Press Trust of India Kochi
1 min read Last Updated : Feb 13 2026 | 12:33 PM IST

The Kerala High Court on Friday dismissed a plea moved by the CEO of Chennai-based Smart Creations, where the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols of Sabarimala were taken for gold plating, challenging his arrest in the case of alleged misappropriation of gold from the Lord Ayyappa shrine.

Justice A Badharudeen rejected the plea of Smart Creations CEO Pankaj Bhandari, who had also sought that he be released from custody.

The detailed order is awaited.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged misappropriation of gold from the Dwarapalaka idols and the door frames of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) has claimed that Bhandari and Ballari-based jeweller Govardhan Roddam played a central role in a conspiracy to steal gold from artefacts of the Sabarimala temple.

The SIT had alleged that Bhandari and Roddam, along with first accused Unnikrishnan Potty, planned the theft of gold that was entrusted to them for electroplating work.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Topics :Sabarimala caseSabarimalaSabarimala temple rowKerala High Court

First Published: Feb 13 2026 | 12:33 PM IST

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