Investigators probing the case of valuables and icons of deities missing from the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department safe vault at Sri Pasupatheeswarar Temple at Pandhanallur near here discovered that four more ancient bronze icons had ‘vanished’. This comes on top of complaints that 51 silver articles weighing 7.5 kg deposited in the vault were not to be traced.
Chandrasekaran of Keezhamanakkudi near here told the police that the icons of Astra Devar and Subramanyar belonging to Sri Kasi Viswanathar Temple in his village were not original. He said that they had been replaced with fake ones.
During the continuing search operations, former panchayat president of Kurichi village Gunasekaran complained that the idols of Sri Amirthakadeswarar and Mahamariamman pertaining to his village were missing from the vault. He pointed out that those listed were fake.
The Idol Wing police could not immediately verify the claims as officials privy to the investigations said the list of valuables deposited in the safe remained under scrutiny. They said only verification of the list of icons available at a larger safe vault at Sri Nageswaran Temple in Kumbakonam could throw more light on the missing icons.
The discoveries have rattled the Idol Wing, led by Inspector- General of Police A.G. Pon Manickavel, which has been assigned the task of prosecuting a slew of cases pertaining to lifting and smuggling of ancient temple icons.
