The Idol Wing CID has seized five antique idols from a luxury life store and art gallery located on Nungambakkam High Road and its departmental store from Thanjavur on charges of illegal possession and alleged involvement in attempting to sell them to the tune of ₹110 crore. The police also arrested two of the gallery staff and launched a search for the owner. Following credible information, the Additional Director General of Police, Idol Wing CID, K. Jayanth Murali, deputed a special team of police personnel to conduct a search at Cottage Industries Exposition Pvt. Ltd., Nungambakkam High Road. On searching the premises, the team found that the gallery was selling antique idols illegally.
Mr. Jayanth Murali told The Hindu , “We have conducted a thorough search and seized a Nataraja idol, which is 1,000 years old. A lot of sale documents were seized from there. Our investigation led to its branch in Thanjavur and also the seizure of two more antique idols, used in the temples of east Asian countries. They are worth around ₹60 crore.”
Idol Wing CID, Tiruchi, seized the two antique idols of Vishnu with eight hands that were hidden at Saga Departmental Store, Keelaraja Veedhi, Thanjavur.
Cambodian origin
The idols are of Khmer style, and are suspected to have been bought from Cambodia.
Mr. Murali said, “Our investigation revealed the proprietors of the gallery had illegally bought the antique idols that were stolen from temples. They also tried to display and sell them. These antique idols would be shown only to genuine buyers. When we demanded antiquity certificates, they did not submit them. These people were selling antique items to foreigners for 10 years.”
The police arrested — S. Anand, of Thirunindravur, 45, who was the manager of the gallery, and S. Venkatesan, 47, of Kumbakonam, a cashier, and seized two more idols from them.
“We are going to investigate the trail of other items that they have sold. We have launched a search to nab the prime suspects in the case. We have seized five idols, and we are going to have more seizures in the days to come,” Mr. Murali said.
Superintendent of Police, Idol Wing CID, R. Ponni said, “The arrested said that negotiations were on to sell the Khmer style Vishnu idols for ₹60 crore and the Nataraja idol for ₹50 crore.”
Published - November 03, 2021 01:20 am IST
