Thiruvananthapuram: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Crime Branch recorded two arrests in the sensational Sabarimala gold theft case on Friday. Pankaj Bandari, CEO of Smart Creations, and Govardhan, a jeweller based in Bengaluru’s Ballari, are the two accused arrested by the probe team.

It is learnt that the SIT recorded the arrests after collecting evidence in Karnataka. The probe team reportedly found that Bandari extracted gold from the panels of the Dwarapalaka idols after taking them for electroplating work. He is alleged to have sold the gold to Govardhan.

On October 28, the SIT had raided Govardhan’s jewellery store as part of the initial probe. Following this, he told the media that he had no role in the scam and claimed that he had only funded the new gold-clad door of the temple as a donation. He said it was Unnikrishnan Potty, the prime accused in the case, who approached him in 2019 with a proposal to sponsor the gold-plated door for the hill shrine. He also revealed that the new door, which was constructed in Ballari, was displayed at his jewellery store before being transported to the Sabarimala temple.

Raids were also carried out the offices of Smart Creations in Chennai soon after launching the probe in October.

Bandari and Govardhan will soon be taken for medical examination at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital. With these two crucial arrests, the number of arrests made this week has risen to three. On December 17, the probe team arrested Sreekumar, a former administrative officer at Sabarimala. He served as administrative officer in 2019 when the gold panels of the Dwarapalaka idols were removed and transported to Chennai. 

In November, the SIT arrested former Travancore Devaswom Board president and CPM leader A Padmakumar for his alleged role in the gold theft. He has been named as the eighth accused in the case.

Unnikrishnan Potty, the key accused; former TDB president N Vasu; former administrative officer Murari Babu; former executive officer D Sudheesh Kumar; and former Thiruvabharanam commissioner KS Baiju are the others arrested in the case.

Meanwhile, the SIT is also probing the alleged invovlement of an international antique smuggling racket in the gold theft at the popular Ayyappa shrine. The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) will also launch a probe into the alleged money laundering behind the gold scam.