Seven Antique Bronze Idols recovered in unlawful possession in Tamil Nadu's Villupuram
After a scrutinizing search, the antique idols that the owner had been covertly storing inside the shop were exposed since this paper proved that the store sold antiques.
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Chennai, Sept 19: Recently, the Idol Wing CID of Tamil Nadu has recovered seven bronze idols in a dealer's unlawful possession in Villupuram, which have been seized. An inquiry is presently underway to identify the temples from which they were reportedly stolen.
According to the Idol Wing of Tamil Nadu police, the shop owner, in whose shop the idols were discovered based on a tip, was unable to authenticate the origin of the antique idols, which included those of Ardhanareshwar, Goddess Sivakami, Krishna, and Buddha, or to provide legal documentation granting him custody of the objects. An official statement stated that "The Idol Wing has registered a case and is investigating how and who took the idols."
The Police followed a tip-off, and a squad led by DSP Kathiravan raided the store in Bommayapalayam Kannika Garden in the Villupuram district on Friday (Sept 16). According to police, while conducting a search at K Ramachandran's, 42-year-old Metal Crafts shop, the officers found a paper stating that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had declared an Ardhanareeswarar idol to be a suspected antique in 2016.
According to the reports of Times Now, after a scrutinizing search, the antique idols that the owner had been covertly storing inside the shop were exposed since this paper proved that the store sold antiques. After conducting their search, the police discovered the seven idols, including three different-sized bronze statues of Lord Krishna, Buddha, Lord Sivagami, and Ardhanareeswarar.
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On Saturday (Sept 17), the seized idols were presented to the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate in Kumbakonam. The idols would in turn be presented to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department, which oversees the state's temples, for authentication by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and a report would be sent to the Idol wing.