The Special Investigation Team (SIT) created to look into the lost Sabarimala Gold case on Friday extended its probe into Tamil Nadu in search of a businessman whose arrests might shed some light on whether the Sabarimala incident was a localised fraud, or part of a larger gold and antique diversion racket.
As per the statement given to Press Trust of India by the police, the SIT is currently looking for a prominent businessman and jeweller named Balamurugan, who is also known as D Mani in Tamil Nadu.
The businessman, identified as Mani, along with 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 loss incident, according to PTI report.
Based on Chennithala’s revelation, the SIT extended its probe, tapped phone records and took statements from an NRI businessman, who told police that gold from Sabarimala might have reached Mani, who allegedly procured large numbers of temple antiques.
As per PTI, Police also traced D Mani’s phone number as part of the investigation after obtaining a search warrant from a court. However they met with a shocking twist when they reached the office of businessman Mani in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu.
Investigation reveals a twist
As per the report published by PTI, when the SIT members reached the premises of Dani’s office they met a businessman who matched the description they were given but claimed that he was not D Mani, the man they were searching for.
The businessman told the police that he was Subramaniam, also known as M S Mani, and that he was engaged in real estate, not the gold trade, PTI reported. After receiving information about Mani, the SIT also recorded the statement of the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potty, who had undertaken the task of electroplating gold-clad plates for the idols and doorframes in the Sabarimala temple
The SIT is also looking for Srikrishna in Virudhunagar who is suspected to be an associate of D Mani. SIT sources recently told the PTI the involvement of Mani and his associate is yet to be established with evidence in the Sabarimala gold loss case.
What’s the Sabrimala gold case about ?
The Sabarimala gold case relates to allegations of loss and possible misappropriation of gold used during renovation works at the Sabarimala Temple, one of India’s most prominent pilgrimage sites, managed by the Travancore Devaswom Board.
The controversy centres on gold-clad plates installed on the Dwarapalaka idols and the doorframes, where investigators suspect that the quantity of gold actually used was far lower than what was officially sanctioned and paid for.
Following audits that found some evidence of financial misappropriation, police complaints and political uproar, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted to probe whether gold was siphoned off during electroplating work carried out by the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potty.
So far, nine people have been arrested, including two former presidents of the Travancore Devaswom Board, in two cases related to the loss of gold from the temple.