Thiruvananthapuram, Dec. 19 -- The Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the alleged theft of gold from the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple has taken into custody the Chief Executive Officer of Smart Creations and a jewellery shop owner from Bellary, Karnataka, marking a major development in the case.
The accused have been identified as Pankaj Bhandari, CEO of Chennai-based Smart Creations, which was entrusted with gold-plating works at the temple, and Govardhan, a Bellary-based jeweller suspected of purchasing gold allegedly siphoned off during the project.
According to SIT officials, the custodial action followed evidence collected during coordinated searches in Bengaluru and Bellary, where investigators reportedly recovered gol...