4 months ago
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The peculiar probe squad (SIT) probing the alleged misappropriation of golden from the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, successful a study to the Kerala High Court connected Monday, said cardinal persons arrayed arsenic accused successful the lawsuit conspired to bargain much golden from the temple, including from the gold-plated Dwarapalaka idols and the doorway framework of the sanctum sanctorum.
Three accused held a concealed gathering successful Bengaluru aft the lawsuit came up for proceeding successful the High Court successful October 2025. The 3 – premier accused Unnikrishnan Potti, Bellari-based jeweller Govardhan and Pankaj Bhandari, CEO of Chennai-based Smart Creations, wherever the idols were taken for golden plating — discussed the imaginable people of enactment successful lawsuit they were implicated successful the case, successful a bid to destruct evidence. All this was confirmed based connected their cellphone records, the SIT says successful the report.
Yet different uncovering is the connivance of officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) successful the alleged misappropriation of golden from the temple. The study says that each transgression activities were portion of a ample conspiracy and organised transgression conducted by the accused. They had a larger program to dismantle different gold-clad items of the Sreekovil and misappropriate the gold.
It besides says the accused TDB officials, having a wide cognition that the temple’s doorway frames were gold-clad, with dishonest volition referred them arsenic copper plates, adjacent successful the mahazar. Such acts by the officials were tantamount to authoritative misconduct, thereby abetting and aiding Mr. Potty and others to misappropriate the golden taken to Smart Creations.
The SIT made these submissions portion opposing the bail plea of Mr. Govardhan. It said that helium was alert of the gold-plating works done connected the sanctum sanctorum. There was request to additionally ascertain his relation successful the case, for which his custody was needed.
The substance was posted for proceeding connected Thursday by a Bench of Justice A. Badharudeen.
The SIT successful the study claimed the alleged misappropriation of golden astatine the temple occurred betwixt 1998, erstwhile gold-cladding works were done by UB Group, and September 2025, erstwhile the Dwarapalakas were sent to Smart Creations for golden plating. The SIT collected samples from the archetypal plates astatine the Sannidhanam, and their technological tests were being conducted astatine the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.
