Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Idol Wing CID recovered four bronze idols besides a Tanjore painting concealed at a religious institution in Kumbakonam, police said on Thursday.
During the search initiated following a complaint by Ram Niranjan and 20 others of Hindu Munnani, the Idol Wing sleuths found the bronze idols of Lord Nataraj, Goddess Sivakami with Thiruvachi (ornamental arch), Ganesh with thiruvachi and pedestal, Bala Dhandayuthapani and Tanjore painting containing 63 Nayanmars and seized them Following the seizure, the idol wing registered a case based on the complaint of Inspector Indira. The seized idols were produced before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kumbakonam.
An inquiry is on to ascertain if the idols were stolen from temples, the Idol Wing said in a release here.
In their petition, the Hindu Munnani members alleged that the Maunaswamy Math, Kumbakonam, hoarded antique idols.
A search was conducted under the supervision of Additional DSP Central Zone Balamurugan and was led by a special team headed by Inspector S Indira after obtaining search orders from the ACJM.
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The Math authorities could not produce documents for ownership, and they meekly submitted that the idols in their possession were illicit idols with no provenance, the release claimed.
K Jayanth Murali, DGP of Idol Wing CID, and Dhinakaran, IGP, appreciated the special team and announced rewards for the good work.
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The Idol Wing of Tamil Nadu Police has recovered three Chola-era idols from the home of a German couple in Auroville.
The idols of Lord Nataraja, Amman and Chandrasekhara, were seized from the residence of Poppo Pingel, 80 and his wife Mona, following a search operation conducted by a special team headed by inspector Indira on Monday.
The idols were found hidden in the first floor attic of the house.
The idol wing swung into action after receiving credible information from a source about the bronzes believed to be worth crores of rupees.