Sabarimala gold theft: Jeweler and designer named as key suspects
The Sabarimala temple gold theft case just got bigger, with the Special Investigation Team naming jeweler Pankaj Bhandari and jeweler Govardhan Roddam as co-conspirators.
They're accused of teaming up with Unnikrishnan Potti to steal about 475gm of gold from sacred temple artifacts during electroplating work back in 2019.
Bhandari had even sponsored previous temple projects and visited the site multiple times.
What's happening now?
Bhandari and Roddam were arrested on December 19, 2025, after questioning by investigators.
Earlier, Potti and several former Travancore Devaswom Board officials were also taken into custody.
The SIT says the stolen gold came from important parts of the temple like guardian idols and door frames.
Over 800gm of gold have been recovered during the investigation.