Sabarimala gold theft: Donated 184 grams for gold-plating frame, jeweller Govardhan says in bail plea

Kochi: Roddam Pandurangaiah Naga Govardhan, a jeweller and one of the accused in the high-profile Sabarimala gold theft case, has moved the Kerala High Court seeking bail, claiming that the Special Investigation Team forcibly seized gold from him despite his cooperation with the probe.

In his bail plea, Govardhan denied any role in the alleged misappropriation and said he had donated gold on multiple occasions for temple-related works. He claimed that in June 2019, he donated 184 grams of gold, valued at around ₹9 lakh, for gold-plating the frame.

Govardhan is an accused in both Crime Branch cases related to the alleged misappropriation of gold from the dwarapalaka idols and the doorframes and lintels of the Sreekovil at the Sabarimala temple.

According to the prosecution, the accused conspired to extract around 409 grams of gold from the temple structures and converted it into gold bars. The specific allegation against Govardhan is that he knowingly misappropriated gold belonging to the Travancore Devaswom Board by concealing its ownership along with the other accused. The FIRs invoke charges including dishonest misappropriation of property, criminal breach of trust, forgery, and offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

A native of Ballari in Karnataka, Govardhan told the court that he is a devout devotee of Lord Ayyappa and the owner of Roddam Jewels. He said he came into contact with the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potty, in 2007, after Potty assisted him with a booking, and later relied on him for arrangements related to Sabarimala darshan and poojas.

Govardhan stated that in 2018, Potty informed him about the proposed replacement of the Sreekovil main door and asked whether he was interested in sponsoring the work. He claimed to have donated 321.6 grams of gold for the project and later sponsored the gold-plating of the doorframes, which was carried out by Smart Creations.

He further claimed that he was informed that 474.97 grams of gold extracted from the gold cladding remained with Smart Creations and that he was asked to collect it and remit the value to the Travancore Devaswom Board. According to Govardhan, the full amount was returned to the Board in 2019. He also said that he made donations totalling around ₹80 lakh between 2009 and 2019.

In his plea, Govardhan alleged that despite full cooperation with the investigation, the Special Investigation Team coerced him into handing over gold weighing 474.97 grams. He claimed that when the SIT visited his shop and residence in Ballari on October 24, 2025, they forcibly took 474.97 grams of 24-carat imported gold, valued at about ₹59.40 lakh, causing him unlawful financial loss.

Govardhan was arrested on December 19 and has been in custody since then. He has now sought bail in both cases. He is accused of the offences under Sections 403 [Dishonest misappropriation of property], 406 [Criminal breach of trust], 409 [Criminal breach of trust by public servant], 466 [Forgery of record of Court or of public register] and 467 [Forgery of valuable security] r/w Section 34 [Common intention] of the Indian Penal Code along with the offence under Section 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018 in the FIRs before the Crime Branch.

On Tuesday, Justice Muralee Krishna S adjourned the matter to enable the public prosecutor to obtain instructions. The case has been posted for further consideration on December 30.
(With LiveLaw inputs.)