Sabarimala Gold Case: Supreme Court to Hear CEO Pankaj Bhandari’s Plea Against Arrest on March 19

Chennai | 24 Feb 2026 The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday said it will hear on March 19 a petition filed by Pankaj Bhandari, CEO of Chennai-based Smart Creations, challenging his arrest in the alleged gold misappropriation case linked to the Sabarimala Temple. The case relates to gold entrusted for plating the Dwarapalaka idols . Bhandari has approached the apex court against a February 13 order of the Kerala High Court, which had dismissed his plea questioning the legality of his arrest. The petition was filed through advocate Vivek Jain. A bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma directed, “List the special leave petition on March 19, 2026.” Before the high court, Bhandari had argued that his arrest was illegal as mandatory procedures, including proper intimation and communication of grounds of arrest, were not followed. The prosecution, however, opposed his claim, stating that all legal requirements had been complied with. The high court rejected Bhandari’s arguments, noting that the only lapse was a delay in producing him before the special vigilance court in Kollam. The high court observed that the delay occurred due to the time taken for medical examination and travel from Thiruvananthapuram to Kollam, a distance of about 71 kilometres. It held that this delay alone was not sufficient to declare the arrest illegal. “I do not think that the same by itself is a reason to declare the arrest as illegal,” the court had said. Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Team probing the case has alleged a larger conspiracy involving Bhandari, Ballari-based jeweller Govardhan Roddam, and the first accused Unnikrishnan Potty. The SIT claims that gold entrusted for electroplating work was misappropriated, and that the accused played a central role in planning and executing the theft from sacred temple artefacts. Sabarimala Gold Case: Supreme Court to Hear CEO Pankaj Bhandari’s Plea Against Arrest on March 19 The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday said it will hear on March 19 a petition filed by Pankaj Bhandari, CEO of Chennai-based Smart Creations, challenging his arrest in the alleged gold misappropriation case linked to the Sabarimala Temple. The case relates to gold entrusted for plating the Dwarapalaka idols . Bhandari has approached the apex court against a February 13 order of the Kerala High Court, which had dismissed his plea questioning the legality of his arrest. The petition was filed through advocate Vivek Jain. A bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma directed, “List the special leave petition on March 19, 2026.” Before the high court, Bhandari had argued that his arrest was illegal as mandatory procedures, including proper intimation and communication of grounds of arrest, were not followed. The prosecution, however, opposed his claim, stating that all legal requirements had been complied with. The high court rejected Bhandari’s arguments, noting that the only lapse was a delay in producing him before the special vigilance court in Kollam. The high court observed that the delay occurred due to the time taken for medical examination and travel from Thiruvananthapuram to Kollam, a distance of about 71 kilometres. It held that this delay alone was not sufficient to declare the arrest illegal. “I do not think that the same by itself is a reason to declare the arrest as illegal,” the court had said. Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Team probing the case has alleged a larger conspiracy involving Bhandari, Ballari-based jeweller Govardhan Roddam, and the first accused Unnikrishnan Potty. The SIT claims that gold entrusted for electroplating work was misappropriated, and that the accused played a central role in planning and executing the theft from sacred temple artefacts.