Idol Wing officers have intensified their search to nab Deputy Superintendent of Police Kadher Batcha, who has been suspended for his alleged involvement in the illegal export of antique idols in 2008.
A.G. Ponn Manickavel, Inspector General of Police, Idol Wing, appeared before the Madras High Court and explained the details of the case to Justice R. Mahadevan, who heard the plea moved by an advocate seeking transfer of the probe into a multi-crore idol theft case registered against two officials of the Idol Wing to the CB-CID.
Recording the appearance of the IG, Justice Mahadevan orally instructed the prosecutor’s office to get instructions from the jurisdictional Superintendent of Police, Tiruvallur, as to why the police official involved in the crime was not yet arrested and to file a report.
Case background
Mr. Manickavel told The Hindu , “We have zeroed in on the probable whereabouts of Mr. Batcha and teams have been sent to Kerala following inputs that he might be hiding there.”
In 2008, Sundaramoorthy, a professional photographer, who was running a studio in South Mada Street in Madurai and was involved in selling antique idols, had displayed photos of antique idols.
Mr. Batcha, who was an Inspector at the time, and Subburaj, then a head constable in the Idol Wing, quizzed Mr. Sundaramoorthy about the photos. Following information given by him, the officers apprehended Arokiaraj, a resident of Aladipatti of Aruppukottai Taluk in Virudhunagar, who was trying sell some idols recovered from his agricultural land to a foreign national.
Police sources said Mr. Arokiaraj and Mr. Sundaramoorthy were interrogated at a guest house in Virudhunagar but they escaped from there.
The idols were in the custody of Mr. Batcha who, along with Mr. Subburaj, tried to sell them to Deenadayalan, an international antique dealer, for ₹50 lakh. As Deenadayalan was reluctant to buy the idols, they reportedly forced him to buy the idols for ₹25 lakh.
The idols found their way to Manhattan gallery owner Subhash Kapoor, who is now lodged in Puzhal Prison.
