The Idol Wing police have recovered two medal idols of Pradosha Nayagar-Pradosha Nayagi allegedly kept concealed inside the sanctum sanctorum of Visalakshi-Viswanathaswamy Temple at Nemmeli near Sirkazhi by a temple priest.
The idols standing on a single pedestal weighed about 3.87 kg. While the Pradosha Nagayar idol stood 32 cm in height, the Amman idol was 30 cm tall. The idols had apparently been kept concealed with the intention of selling them illegally for over ₹2 crore, the Idol Wing said in a press release.
However, the police are yet ascertain to which temple the two idols belonged to.
The idols kept concealed behind the Visalakshmi Amman idol at the sanctum sanctorum were recovered based on the confessions of the gurukal, Suriyamoorthy. The matter came to light during investigation conducted by a special team in connection with another case involving theft of four metal idols of Nallakathayi Amman, Kanjamalaieswarar, Anjaneyar and Vinayagar from Mannaarswamy-Nallakathayi Amman Temple in Sirkazhi taluk, a press release from the Idol Wing said.
The police also seized Kathayi Amman Velli Kavacham, Saneeswaran Velli Kavacham, two small silver kuthuvilakku (lamps) and a small silver kudam (pot), which were allegedly kept concealed in Suriyamoorthy’s house. The seizures were made in the presence of witnesses for being deposited with the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate court in Kumbakonam. Suriyamoorthy was arrested, the release added.
