Rejukumar of Nooranad, the first accused arrested in connection with the theft at the Sree Krishnaswami Temple will be brought to Mavelikkara this week.
A police team led by Mavelikkara CI K R Sivasuthan Pillai had arrested Reju from Pune on Saturday and he was produced before the Magistrate court there on Monday.
The Kerala police will submit an application to the Maharashtra police on Tuesday, for bringing the accused to Kerala, Sivasuthan Pillai said.
A gold crown and chain, together weighing over 60 grams, had been looted from the temple, and then melted down by the thieves. Police seized the melted ornaments from a jewellery store in Pune, the CI said.
The police said that Reju had earlier looted a ‘panchaloha’ idol from the Mahavishnu Temple at Payannoor. The first accused, along with his associate Sajinkumar, who is in judicial custody, had carried out the robbery at the Mavelikkara temple on July 4.
The police said that after the theft, Rejukumar had handed over some gold particles of the chain to Sajinkumar, who tried to sell it at a jewellery shop in Thiruvananthapuram.
Fingerprints taken from the sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) helped in identifying Reju as the culprit behind the theft.