Senior Congress leader and former home minister Ramesh Chennithala on Sunday alleged the role of an international smuggling gang in the Sabarimala temple gold heist.
Ramesh Chennithala has written to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the gold heist, demanding an extension of the probe to the role of antiquitie smuggling gangs too. He stated that he is ready to provide more information about this gang.
In his letter addressed to ADGP H Venkatesh, in-charge of supervising the SIT, the Congress leader said a transaction worth Rs 500 crore was made in the gold heist. He said he would also provide information about the person who is privy to the operation.
Chennithala lamented that the organizers of the Sabarimala gold heist are still at large.
Since the gold-plated layers smuggled from Sabarimala have gone outside the country, the SIT has not been able to find the gold ornaments. Chennithala’s claim that he knows a person who has knowledge about the gangs that stole the archaeological objects and sold them in the black market comes as a surprise.
“The person who gave me the information can be made to cooperate with the SIT’s investigation, ” Chennithala said in the letter. He even volunteered to give a statement in court.
The Congress leader suspected the involvement of big industrialists in the theft. The main accused have not been brought under investigation, those arrested are only co-accused, Chennithala wrote in the letter.
He also informed the SIT that he does not want to share the information he has received with the public. However, he is ready to appear before the investigation team and the court and give his statement
In this connection, it has been reported the SIT is preparing to record a statement from Chennithala on the points raised by him in his letter to it . Chennithala has reportedly been informed about this.