The Idol Wing police on Saturday unearthed 21 more old stone idols and pillars, said to be antiquities, that were buried under the lawn of the Poes Garden guest house of KCP Sugars and Industries Corporation Ltd.
On Friday, when it began conducting the search, it had found two stone pillars under the lawn of the guest house, which was used as a residence by the company’s executive director, Kiran Rao.
The Idol Wing has said it will issue a summons for her appearance to proceed with the inquiry; at the same time, it has written to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs requesting a look out circular in her name, which is issued to prevent someone from leaving the country.
The police said the antiquities belonged to Ms. Rao and businessman and art collector Ranvir Shah , whose Saidapet residence and farmhouses in Kanchipuram district yielded 224 old sculptures and artefacts . However, sources close to Ms. Rao say that all 23 items seized from the Poes Garden bungalow belong to her.
According to the officers of the Idol Wing, these idols and pillars were buried just four days ago. In a statement , Ms. Rao said she had buried the sculptures out of a sense of panic following an extortion demand. All 23 items have been shifted to the premises of the Idol Wing in Guindy.
Idol Wing Chief and Inspector General of Police A.G. Ponn Manickavel told The Hindu that there was evidence to suggest that the sculptures were sourced from Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu. “We will issue a summons to her and proceed further,” he said. The police claim that the search and seizure operation on Ms. Rao’s residence/guest house were conducted following information that a few idols and artefacts were shifted discreetly from a shop called The Purple Turtle at Raja Annamalaipuram earlier this week. They also claim the investigation into Mr. Shah and Ms. Rao are linked.
According to Additional Superintendent of Police P. Ashok Natarajan, the police received information that a few idols were shifted from Ms. Rao’s properties to The Purple Turtle. Mr. Shah is an independent director of KCP Sugars and Industries Corporation of which Ms. Rao is executive director. “Both had business contacts. We believe these antiquities do belong to Mr. Shah and Ms. Rao,” he said.
Mr. Shah, who has been summoned by the Idol Wing , did not appear before it on Friday. He has applied for anticipatory bail.
