6 months ago
1
The High Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Sabarimala golden theft has pivoted to investigating whether the transgression had a cross-border nature, against the backdrop of a deposition that the premier accused, Unnikrishnan Potti, had successful the past transacted with planetary racketeers dealing successful high-value stolen spiritual antiques.
Officials said that a sworn connection by a non-resident Indian businessperson, astatine the lawsuit of erstwhile Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, past week prompted the SIT to unfastened a caller enactment of enquiry.
The High Court had besides tasked the SIT with investigating whether the gold-plated copper panels removed from the Ayyappa Temple, ostensibly for restoration by Mr Potti, were replicated successful a cheaper alloy to facilitate the covert merchantability of the revered artefacts to affluent collectors.
According to officials, the businessperson’s connection astir amerciable commercialized successful spiritual idols with attributed ineffable value, allegedly involving a Chennai-based antique trader and Mr. Potti successful 2019, warranted a elaborate investigation.
They said that SIT mightiness beryllium compelled to question assistance from Interpol if immoderate grounds of planetary antiquity smuggling emerged during the investigation.
Officials said the SIT had moved to find the Chennai-based antique trader identified by Mr. Chennithala’s acquaintance. Moreover, helium said, the SIT would apt question Mr. Potti’s custody for further interrogation.
An researcher who worked with the Kerala Police Temple Theft Special Investigation Team had noted earlier that tracing stolen spiritual artefacts sold clandestinely to wealthiness collectors and restituting them to their archetypal owners has repeatedly proved challenging.
For instance, helium noted that the theft of the “emerald” idol, Maragatha Lingam, from the Adi Sankara Janmabhoomi Temple astatine Kalady successful Ernakulam successful 2009 remained untraced contempt the champion efforts of the Kerala Police Temple Theft Special Investigation Team. “Rumours linked the theft to planetary antique smugglers. The constabulary estimated that the idol, donated to the temple by the king of Mysore successful 1910, was astatine slightest 500 years old,” helium added.
