Thiruvananthapuram: Another person has been taken into custody in connection with the Chala gold robbery case. The investigation team is currently questioning Jayaraman, the owner of Malavika Jewellery, after taking him into custody. The move follows an earlier statement given to the police by Nandakumar, the owner of Vaishnavi Gold, who lost the gold in the heist.

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In his statement, Nandakumar alleged that Jayaraman, who runs Malavika Jewellery right next to his establishment, had threatened him. Following this, the police are investigating whether business rivalry was the motive behind the robbery.

Earlier, the police had dramatically apprehended the suspects in the robbery of the Chala-based Vaishnavi Jewellery owner within 48 hours of the incident. Four persons were nabbed from Padinjarathara in Wayanad, while two others were arrested in Thiruvananthapuram.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Thiruvananthapuram natives Anil (37), Anoop (37), Rajeev Kattakada (45) and Vinod (38). Police recovered 488 grams of gold from them as they were attempting to flee to Karnataka. According to the police, some of the arrested suspects had business partnerships with Nandakumar and had met him on several occasions for gold transactions.

Investigators revealed that the heist was the result of months-long planning, with the accused having detailed knowledge of the shop owner's routine, including the exact time he returned home carrying the gold. A crucial breakthrough in the probe came when the suspects' car was tracked crossing a toll booth in Tamil Nadu, eventually leading the police to Wayanad.

Officers had also gathered details regarding a new-model motorcycle registered in the name of the accused, Anil, which was used in the crime, and obtained CCTV footage the very next day showing the gang fleeing with the gold.