A special police team, led by Inspector-General of Police (Idol Wing) A.G. Pon Manickavel, on Saturday, has kick-started its third phase of investigation into the alleged conspiracy behind an attempt to replace the main idol of the Sri Dhandayuthapaniswamy Temple in Palani 14 years ago.
This time he came to the temple town with a team of experts from IIT, led by Metallurgy Department Professor Murugaian Amirthalingam, to check the quality and quantity of metals used in the controversial 200 kg idol.
Later, he interrogated HR&CE Joint Commissioner R. Selvaraj at the PWD guest house. Sources said the team planned to question others, including the priests in the temple.
At the outset, the 20-member team went to the hill temple and examined the panchaloha idol kept in a strongroom, the utsavamurthy Chinnakumarar idol in the sanctum sanctorum and Nava Veeragal idols. (The idols are taken in a procession during festivals.)
Later, the team went to Sri Periyanayaki Amman Temple and examined a Murugan idol that was not in use.
Additional Superintendent of Police Raja told presspersons that a team of experts from IIT was brought to Palani to analyse the metallic idols.
“We will check the total number of idols in the temple and their metallic composition. The team did not complete its testing process on the first day. Investigation will continue tomorrow,” he added.
Idols being analysed
Sources said the team had been analysing whether all the idols in the Palani temple were made of panchaloha .
The special team had begun the investigation on March 29.
The second phase was conducted by DSP (idol wing) Karunakaran a few weeks ago.
The 200 kg panchaloha idol of Lord Muruga was installed as abishekamurthy near the main idol ( moolavar ) in the garbagruham of the Sri Dhandayuthapaniswamy temple on January 25, 2004, and removed on June 7, 2004.
There were allegations that there was a conspiracy to remove the main idol under the pretext that it was damaged and replace it with a new one.
Two arrested
Sthapathi M. Muthiah and former HR&CE Joint Commissioner K.K. Raja have been arrested so far.
The case was transferred to the CBCID on April 2.
But the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court on April 26 barred the CB-CID police from probing the case and asked the Idol Wing, who had investigated the case initially to continue its probe.
