TRICHY: After 47 years, the idol wing police have registered a case in reference to a robbery of 7 panchaloha idols worth Rs 110 crore from the Natanapureeswarar temple close to Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district. Based on a criticism by means of Vasu Iyer, the idol wing registered a case under Section 457 (2), 380(2), 120 (B) of the IPC and 25 (1) of the AAT Act 1972.
According to police, two dancing Krishna idols of 1 foot and 1.5ft, a 2.5 feet Agasthiar idol, a six-inch Ayyanar idol and a six-inch Amman idol had been stolen on May 12, 1971 after miscreants broke open the front door of the temple.
A yr later, there used to be any other robbery on the 1,300-year-old temple at Thandan Thottam village, 10km from Kumbakonam – the Natanapureeswarar Natarajar and the Golu Amman panchaloha idols worth ₹50 crore had been stolen. All the 7 idols have still not been recovered, police said in a statement released on Thursday.
It has come to light that of these, the Natarajar idol used to be stored in a museum in London earlier than it used to be moved to the United States, police said.
Despite repeated appeals made by means of then trustees of the temple Subramania Iyer and Venkatrama Iyer, no case used to be filed with the Natchiar Koil police station. Even appeals to successive Prime Ministers went futile. So, for the past 47 years, the case used to be pending with out an FIR being registered, the idol wing police said.
Experts to test idols’ authenticity
Inscriptions at the temple are now in the Saraswathi Mahal Library in Thanjavur, police said. The final idols are being stored safely at an icon centre in the Uppiliappan temple in the district. However, Vasu Iyer had said in his criticism that most of the stolen idols had been replaced with faux ones over a duration, the statement said.
The idol wing police has entrusted the duty of ascertaining the genuineness of the idols to knowledgeable group of the archaeological division.
Meanwhile, a unique officer appointed by means of the Madras high court inspected the temple.
According to police, two dancing Krishna idols of 1 foot and 1.5ft, a 2.5 feet Agasthiar idol, a six-inch Ayyanar idol and a six-inch Amman idol had been stolen on May 12, 1971 after miscreants broke open the front door of the temple.
A yr later, there used to be any other robbery on the 1,300-year-old temple at Thandan Thottam village, 10km from Kumbakonam – the Natanapureeswarar Natarajar and the Golu Amman panchaloha idols worth ₹50 crore had been stolen. All the 7 idols have still not been recovered, police said in a statement released on Thursday.
It has come to light that of these, the Natarajar idol used to be stored in a museum in London earlier than it used to be moved to the United States, police said.
Despite repeated appeals made by means of then trustees of the temple Subramania Iyer and Venkatrama Iyer, no case used to be filed with the Natchiar Koil police station. Even appeals to successive Prime Ministers went futile. So, for the past 47 years, the case used to be pending with out an FIR being registered, the idol wing police said.
Experts to test idols’ authenticity
Inscriptions at the temple are now in the Saraswathi Mahal Library in Thanjavur, police said. The final idols are being stored safely at an icon centre in the Uppiliappan temple in the district. However, Vasu Iyer had said in his criticism that most of the stolen idols had been replaced with faux ones over a duration, the statement said.
The idol wing police has entrusted the duty of ascertaining the genuineness of the idols to knowledgeable group of the archaeological division.
Meanwhile, a unique officer appointed by means of the Madras high court inspected the temple.
Case filed 47 yrs after theft of 7 idols
![Case filed 47 yrs after theft of 7 idols]()
Reviewed by Kailash
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February 15, 2019
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