The Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Friday extended its probe into Tamil Nadu in search of a businessman in the Sabarimala gold loss case, the police said.
The police are searching for a jeweller named Balamurughan, also known as D. Mani, from Dindigul in Tamil Nadu.
According to police sources, Mr. 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 loss incident. Based on Mr. Chennithala’s revelation, the SIT also recorded the statement of an NRI businessman, who told the police that gold from Sabarimala might have reached Mr. Mani, who allegedly procured large numbers of temple antiques.
The police also traced Mr. Balamurughan’s phone number as part of the probe. After obtaining a search warrant from a court, the SIT reached the office of Mr. Mani in Dindigul, the police said. However, the businessman told the SIT that he was not D. Mani, whom they were searching for. Instead, he said he was Subramaniam, also known as M.S. Mani, and that he was engaged in real estate, not the gold trade, the police said.
SIT sources said the phone number traced by the team was being used by M.S. Mani, following which they decided to conduct a detailed investigation to ascertain whether D. Mani and M.S. Mani are the same person.
