Officers of the Idol Wing-CID attached to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) continued their search operations and found another huge haul of idols from a warehouse in Venus Colony off Murrays Gate Road in Alwarpet on Saturday.
On May 31, they busted a smuggling racket and seized idols from the house of Deenadayalan in Murrays Gate. Based on fresh information about several idols shipped only a fortnight ago being stored in a godown located a few streets away from that house, officials went on a raid.
On searching the cement-roofed godown rented by the accused, the officials found several crates containing idols and antique items shipped from Thiruvananthapuram through an art gallery in Mumbai.
Operation to go on
A senior official of the idol wing said six crates were opened in the day-long operation, and four idols of Hindu deities were recovered. There are several crates still to be opened because of the fragile nature and the operation would go on for a few days, he added.
R. Nagaswamy, former director of Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department, who visited the godown along with Inspector-General of Police (Idol wing) A.G. Pon Manickavel, said the idols made of blackstone were likely over 900 years old and worth several millions of rupees.
According to Mr. Manickavel, the idol wing had secured 71 stone idols, 41 metal idols, 90 paintings and an ivory item from Deenadayalan’s house. He said the accused was running art galleries in four places in the State and one in Karnataka.
Idols made of blackstone estimated to be over 900 years old and worth several millions of rupees
