The Idol Wing police have issued a summons to Chennai-based businessman Ranvir Shah, asking him to appear before their investigation officer on Friday in connection with the seizure of idols and artefacts from his bungalow in Saidapet and two farmhouses in Kulangancheri and Mogalvadi in Kancheepuram.
Shah, on his part, has moved the Madras High Court seeking advance bail in a case booked against him by the Idol Wing-Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on charges of being in possession of idols and artefacts that had reportedly been stolen from various temples in the State.
A senior police officer told The Hindu , “We found that most of the artefacts were not backed by relevant documents issued by competent authorities. Prima facie, there is incriminating material against him. Hence, we issued summons to him for an inquiry.” The police are also learnt to have written to the Union Home Ministry to issue lookout circulars to all airports to prevent Mr. Shah from flying abroad.
In his petition, Mr. Shah said the police were now trying to implicate him in a case booked in 2016 following a search conducted at the residence of one Deenadayalan. “The petitioner submits that his name is not found in the FIR and there is no averment regarding participation of the petitioner in any manner,” he added.
Stating that he was an ardent collector of antiques, the petitioner said the police had visited his house in July 2016. Then, he had produced ownership certificates for 40 antique statues. The certificates had been obtained from the Centre, Archaeological Survey of India and other authorities. “The petitioner has valid documents and proof for almost all artefacts that are in his possession. The petitioner has applied to the ASI to obtain licence for a few statues and the same are pending for assessing the nature of the stone and evaluation of the age of the stone sculptures by experts from the ASI,” his petition read. Mr. Shah also claimed to have lodged a complaint with the Kottupuram police in 2016 regarding damage suffered to the documents in floods.
