THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the Sabarimala gold theft case on Friday extended its probe to Tamil Nadu in search of a jeweller who has alleged connection to the case, according to police.
Police are on the lookout for Balamurugan, also known as D Mani, from Dindigul.
According to police sources, Mani and his associate came under the SIT’s radar after senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala gave a statement, alleging the involvement of an international antique racket in the Sabarimala gold theft incident.
Based on Chennithala’s revelation, the SIT also recorded the statement of an NRI businessman, who told police that the gold from Sabarimala might have reached Mani, who allegedly procured large volumes of temple antiques. The SIT traced Mani’s phone number and also obtained a search warrant and reached his office in Dindigul, police said. However, the businessman told the SIT he was not the D Mani they were looking for. He said he was Subramaniam, also known as MS Mani, and was engaged in real estate, not gold trade.
SIT sources said the phone number traced by the team was being used by MS Mani, following which they decided to conduct a detailed investigation to ascertain whether D Mani and MS Mani are the same person. A notice was issued to Subramaniam to appear for interrogation in Thiruvananthapuram.
The SIT is also looking for one Srikrishna in Virudhunagar, police said.
SIT sources said the involvement of Mani and his associate in the Sabarimala case has yet to be established. So far, it has arrested nine persons, including two former presidents of the Travancore Devaswom Board, in two cases related to the gold theft from the ‘dwarapalaka’ idols and the ‘sreekovil’ doorframes.