Archive · 22 Dec 2025
SIT Arrests Key Figures in Sabarimala Gold Theft
Some people who were supposed to take care of the Sabarimala temple's gold items took the gold for themselves.
The police found out that two men, Pankaj Bhandari and Govardhan Roddam, were very involved in this bad plan.
They took the gold from the temple's statues and other things in 2019.
The police say these men knew the gold belonged to the temple but took it anyway.
They have been arrested and the court is looking into the case.
Pankaj Bhandari had close ties with the temple and the Travancore Devaswom Board, which made it easier for them to do this.
Pankaj Bhandari and Govardhan Roddam were arrested for their central role in the Sabarimala gold theft.
The theft involved detaching gold from copper plates of temple artefacts during electroplating in 2019.
The accused were aware that the gold belonged to the Sabarimala temple.
Bhandari had close ties with the temple and the Travancore Devaswom Board.
The SIT highlighted that the accused misused their positions of trust to steal the temple's valuables.
- Who
- Pankaj Bhandari, Govardhan Roddam, and Unnikrishnan Potty
- What
- Theft of gold from Sabarimala temple artefacts
- When
- The theft occurred in 2019, arrests made on December 21
- Where
- Sabarimala Temple, Kerala
- Why
- The accused planned and executed the theft, misusing their positions of trust
- Accused Individuals
- Pankaj Bhandari, Govardhan Roddam, Unnikrishnan Potty
- Date of Arrest
- December 21
- Year of Theft
- 2019
- Location of Theft
- Sabarimala Temple, Kerala
- Nature of Theft
- Gold detached from copper plates of temple artefacts
- Investigating Body
- Special Investigation Team (SIT)
- Court Involved
- Vigilance Court, Kollam
