The Madras High Court has directed the Idol Wing-Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to conduct a thorough investigation into a complaint lodged on November 3, 2017, alleging theft of ancient idols, precious artefacts, giant doors, stone lamps, vimanas and other articles from the Sriranganathaswamy Temple in Tiruchi.
A Division Bench of Justices R. Mahadevan and P.D. Audikesavalu issued the direction while disposing of petitions filed by a resident of Srirangam, Rangarajan Narasimhan, as well as activist advocate ‘Elephant’ G. Rajendran, seeking a direction to the police to register a first information report on the alleged theft.
Since the temple management as well as its individual trustees had stoutly denied that any such theft had taken place, the judges ordered that the Idol Wing-CID give reasonable opportunities to them as well as the complainants to make their submissions and furnish the relevant materials.
A second complaint
Though it was brought to the notice of the court that the local police had closed a first complaint lodged by Mr. Narasimhan in connection with the alleged theft on October 13, 2017, the judges held that in exceptional circumstances, a second complaint lodged with regard to the same issue could be entertained.
They also recorded the submission of A.G. Ponn Manickavel, special officer of Idol Wing-CID, that he was willing to probe the issue and that of the temple management that it was willing to cooperate.
