‘Valuable items of various temples seen in hands of D Mani was handed over by Potty’

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: More information from the statement of expat businessman in the Sabarimala gold theft, has emerged. The businessman said that D Mani had told him that he has valuable items belonging to temples in his hand.

'D Mani was introduced by some having connections with former chief minister of Tamil Nadu Jayalalithaa. Since I was also interested in the antique business, I went to D Mani's house in Dindigul to see these valuable items. I found these items tied up in a sack there. Mani told him that these were valuable items from various temples including Sabarimala and that all these were handed over to him by a Potty. However, the sack could not be opened. However, the business did not go ahead due to a dispute over payment,' says the expat’s statement.

Meantime, the investigation team will question D Mani. It is reported that the police have asked Mani to appear tomorrow. He earlier said that he was not D Mani, but the investigation team confirmed that he is D Mani. The investigation team said the one questioned in Dindigul was D Mani, whom the expatriate businessman met in person during the idol trade in Thiruvananthapuram, and that changing his name to M S Mani and Subramanian was an attempt to deceive.