SIT Gives Clean Chit to D. Mani in Sabarimala Gold Case
Kochi: Tamil Nadu businessman D. Mani has been given a clean chit in the Sabarimala gold theft case. The investigation team informed the High Court in its report that he has no connection with the robbery.
In connection with the gold theft, D. Mani was one of the key names mentioned by an expatriate businessman. The allegation against D. Mani was that the panchaloha (five-metal alloy) idols from Sabarimala were smuggled. The investigation team recorded his statement at his office in Dindigul, after which he was summoned to Thiruvananthapuram for further questioning.
From the beginning, D. Mani maintained that he was innocent. Speaking to the media, he said:
“I told the SIT everything. They checked my phone and other details. I run only small businesses. I will cooperate with the investigation. I will appear before the SIT. I am being portrayed badly. I am an ordinary person who has grown step by step. I don’t visit Kerala often. I have never been to Sabarimala. The SIM card I use belongs to my close friend Balamurugan. He is also innocent. Neither of us has any connection with this case.”
The expatriate businessman had claimed that D. Mani was behind the smuggling of the Sabarimala idols. He also stated that transactions were carried out with Unnikrishnan Potti. According to his statement, there were dealings involving gold articles between D. Mani and Potti, and those were allegedly the gold items from Sabarimala. He said D. Mani had initially approached him for the deal, but he later withdrew due to disagreements over pricing. He also expressed suspicion that the items were smuggled abroad.