Thiruvananthapuram: Former home minister and senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala has alleged that international antique smugglers may be linked to the Sabarimala gold theft.
In a letter he sent to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Saturday, he said he had been informed by a source familiar with the operations of such smuggling networks.
He reportedly claimed that a deal worth around Rs 500 crore had already taken place and suggested that the theft was part of a larger conspiracy involving both the Devaswom Board and antique smugglers, TNIE reported.
According to the letter, the person who provided the information was unwilling to go public but was prepared to present details, including facts and figures, before the SIT if summoned. Chennithala mentioned that he had independently verified the source’s version and believed it to be accurate.
He described the Sabarimala gold theft as only a small part of a much larger issue and said he had received indications of the involvement of certain well-known businessmen and organised groups who, he claimed, had invested large amounts of money within Kerala for this purpose.
He referred to the situation as a coordinated effort to steal and traffic priceless antiques, idols, and other valuables from major Hindu temples.
Pointing to the absence of the original gold and other missing items from Sabarimala, he argued that this supported the suspicion of international rackets being involved.
He also noted that the High Court had previously observed similarities between this case and the methods used by notorious antique smuggler Subhash Kapoor, and suggested that this warranted greater scrutiny.