Fresh claims regarding Panchaloha idol theft at Sabarimala before SIT
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With new revelations coming up in connection with the Sabarimala gold theft case, the special investigation team probing the case has been met with fresh claims that could further complicate the investigation. A businessman, named earlier by Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, has reportedly told the SIT that the first accused, Unnikrishnan Potti, had close links with D Mani, an antique collector based in Chennai. It is learnt that in his statement, the businessman alleged that apart from gold, two panchaloha idols believed to be from Sabarimala were sold to Mani by Potti. Sources said the claim, if found credible, could point to wider and possible international links in the case. The SIT will now be verifying the authenticity of the statement. The businessman has also reportedly claimed that the deal happened in Thiruvananthapuram in 2020 between Mani, Unnikrishnan Potti and a top official linked to Sabarimala. However, this version directly contradicts the statements earlier given by Govardhan, a jeweller and one of the accused, and by Potti himself. Both Govardhan and Potti had told SIT that the stolen gold was melted and did not remain in solid form. The SIT now faces the task of verifying these conflicting accounts, especially since it has already collected gold samples believed to be part of the stolen consignment.
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