The Idol Wing police on Thursday arrested a Deputy Superintendent of Police on charges of shielding thieves and smugglers from facing trial and fabricating evidence before a court in a 2005 case of stealing and smuggling 13 idols from Sri Narumbunathar Temple at Palavoor in Tirunelveli district.
The DSP, N. Jeevanandham, 54, is presently attached to the Prohibition and Enforcement Wing of Tiruchi district.
According to the Idol Wing police, 13 idols, including those of Ananda Natarajar and Goddess Sivakami, valued at ₹24 crore, were stolen from the temple by local thieves on the instructions of antique dealers. While the idols were being transported, one of the accused murdered another in a dispute over sharing the booty. They also damaged some of the idols in an attempt to extract some gold from them.
Nine of the stolen idols were recovered by the Idol Wing police. But four of the nine idols were smuggled out of the country with the knowledge of officers, including Jeevanandham, who was then Inspector of the Idol Wing. The idols were transported from Mumbai to Hong Kong on a cargo ship and reached Subash Kapoor’s art gallery in Manhattan, New York. Kapoor also published the picture of the Ananda Natarajar idol for sale at a price of ₹15 crore in a catalogue.
The antique dealers restored the broken arm of the Ananda Natarajar idol with the help of a professional restorer in London at a cost of ₹1 crore before handing it over to Kapoor.
The case was investigated by Jeevanandham and DSPs Khader Batcha and Mohammed Kasib, who were with the Idol Wing at that time.
Inspector General of Police A.G. Pon Manickavel said, “It was the intention of officials before 2008 to shield offenders after receiving money from them. We arrested Jeevanandham on Thursday and produced him before a court in Kumbakonam for remand. Investigation is on to probe the involvement of others.”
Facts fudged
In the case, Jeevanandham and other police officials fudged facts and filed a chargesheet in the court which conducted the trial.
Suspecting foul play, Mr. Pon Manickavel reinvestigated the case. His investigation revealed that the idols were exported illegally and imported later.
A report from Tiruchi adds: Jeevanandham was produced before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate in Kumbakonam on Thursday night.
The Magistrate remanded him in judicial custody up to November 29. He was later taken to Tiruchi Central Prison.
