Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Friday dismissed a petition filed by Pankaj Bhandari, CEO of Chennai-based Smart Creations, which had undertaken the gold plating work, challenging his arrest in connection with the alleged misappropriation of gold from the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa shrine. The case pertains to the gold plating of the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols.

Justice A Badharudeen dismissed Bhandari’s plea, in which he argued that his arrest was illegal because mandatory procedures, including intimation of the arrest and communication of its grounds, were not followed.

The prosecution countered that all mandatory requirements had been met and described Bhandari’s claims as baseless.

Observing the procedural steps, the High Court noted that “the only anomaly that could be seen in the steps adopted by the arresting officer was that he failed to produce Bhandari before the Special Vigilance Court at Kollam in time”. The court explained that the delay was due to the medical examination and the 71 km journey from Thiruvananthapuram to Kollam.

“I do not think that the same by itself is a reason to declare the arrest as illegal. Therefore, for the said reason also, the prayer in the petition to declare the arrest as illegal cannot be granted," Justice Badharudeen said.

The High Court further stated, “Thus, in the instant case, the non-compliance argued by the senior counsel for the petitioner (Bhandari) is not found sufficient to declare the arrest as illegal, and in consequence thereof, this petition would necessarily fail. In the result, this Writ Petition (Criminal) is dismissed.”

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case has alleged that Bhandari and Ballari-based jeweller Govardhan Roddam, along with the first accused Unnikrishnan Potti, conspired to misappropriate gold entrusted to them for electroplating the temple artifacts, including the Dwarapalaka idols and the door frames of the Sreekovil.

PTI