PALANI
A special police team, led by Inspector General of Police (Idol Wing) A.G. Pon Manickavel, continued its investigation into the alleged conspiracy behind an attempt to replace the main idol of Sri Dhandayuthapaniswamy Temple for the second day on Sunday.
The police, along with a team of experts from IIT-Madras, led by Metallurgy Department Professor Murugaian Amirthalingam, went to the hill temple and analysed other panchaloha idols kept in a strongroom and the idols used for festivals. Special equipment were used by the experts to analyse the quality and quantum of metals used to make them.
The team started the analysis on Saturday morning and analysed a batch of idols in the hill temple and also at Sri Periyanayaki Amman Temple. It plans to check the quality of all the idols under the control of Sri Dhandayuthpaniswamy Temple.
The special team had begun investigation on March 29. The 200-kg panchaloha idol of Lord Muruga was installed in the garbagraham of Sri Dhandayuthapaniswamy Temple on January 25, 2004, and removed on June 7, 2004.
M. Muthiah Sthapathi and former Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department Joint Commissioner K.K. Raja were arrested. The case was, however, transferred to the CB-CID 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, which investigated the case initially, to continue its probe.
