Seven held for stealing idols in Tamil Nadu
By IANSMonday, February 1, 2010
CHENNAI - Seven people, including a pastor, were held in Tamil Nadu for smuggling antique idols, police said Monday.
The police retrieved 11 ‘panchaloha’ idols (made of a composite of five metals) valued around Rs.11 crore, said a senior police official.
“A special police team arrested three people from a lodge in Periamet area based on a tip-off. The arrested men are Immanuel, Madasamy and Pitchaimani. Police also recovered a Krishna idol made of panchaloha,” Additional Director General of Police G. Thilagavathi told reporters.
She said the arrested men disclosed that two people - Jagannathan and Velu - stole the idols from the temples in Kanchipuram, Tiruvannamalai and Vellore districts and passed these on to Immanuel, a pastor.
The duo had stolen idols of Krishna, Radha, Rukmani and Ganesh. While they had given the Krishna idol to Immanuel, the remaining were buried near Jagannathan’s house to be handed over to Marisamy of Puducherry latter for onward sale.
All three - Jagannathan, Velu and Marisamy - have been arrested. Five idols of Mahaveer were recovered from Marisamy, police said.
One more person, Gangachalam, was arrested for stealing and selling two idols to Marisamy.
