The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the high-profile Sabarimala gold theft case has uncovered significant inter-state involvement, with the remand report revealing that Pankaj Bhandari, chief executive officer of Chennai-based Smart Creations, and Govardhan (also known as Govardhanan or Govardhan Roddam), owner of Roddam Jewellery in Ballari, Karnataka, played pivotal roles equivalent to that of prime accused Unnikrishnan Potti in the misappropriation of sacred gold from the temple's artefacts.

Disclosures from custodial interrogation of Unnikrishnan Potti, a former associate of the Travancore Devaswom Board, led investigators to the duo, whose active participation was corroborated by material evidence gathered during the probe, including attempts to provide false statements to conceal the offences committed during the 2019 restoration process.

Gold-plated sheets removed from the sanctum sanctorum door frames and Dwarapalaka guardian idols were transported to Smart Creations under the guise of electroplating and maintenance work, where the precious metal was allegedly extracted through chemical processes, with Bhandari fully aware of its temple origins due to his prior associations with the board and shrine activities.

Also Read: Messi Unhappy with Being Touched at Kolkata Event, Reveals Arrested Organiser to SIT

Following extraction, portions of the stolen gold were sold to Govardhan, who had been introduced to Potti earlier; searches at his Ballari jewellery establishment yielded recoveries of approximately 470 grams of gold believed to be part of the pilfered consignment, while investigators suspect remaining quantities may have fetched premium prices owing to their religious significance and antiquity.

Both individuals were arrested on December 19, 2025, after extensive questioning at the Crime Branch headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, marking them as the eighth and ninth accused in the case, with the SIT emphasising the need for further custodial interrogation to trace additional missing gold and potential broader networks in this breach of trust involving one of Kerala's most revered pilgrimage sites.

Also Read: Reconstituted SIT Adopts Seven-Point Strategy in Telangana Phone-Tapping Case