According to an official press note, the Idol Wing CID received information that an antique stone pillar weighing about half a tonne featuring bas-relief sculptures possibly depicting Lord Vishnu, Garuda, a saint, and a Hamsa (decorated swan) was seized by Austrian law enforcement authorities. The seizure was carried out by the Federal Ministry of Interior’s Criminal Intelligence Service, Cultural Property Unit (Bundeskriminalamt), Austria.

Photographs of the pillar and its packing material, which bore inscriptions indicating origins in India, were examined by experts. Detailed enquiries revealed that due to the common architectural style of such pillars across many temples in Tamil Nadu, the exact location of theft could not be identified.

The Curator of the Idol Wing CID examined the images and opined that the pillar is made of light buff granite typically found in north-western Tamil Nadu, particularly in the Krishnagiri–Dharmapuri belt, or adjoining regions such as Kolar district in Karnataka and Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh. The artifact has been dated to the 18th–19th century and is believed to have originally formed part of a small four-pillared mandapa, often erected in front of shrines or used during temple festivals. The pillar qualifies as an antiquity under the Antiquity and Art Treasures Act, 1972.

On October 30, 2025, the matter was formally communicated to Austrian authorities and the Indian Embassy in Vienna through the Idol Wing CID. Austrian law enforcement officials confirmed that the pillar is being held in secure storage and that they are ready to begin the restitution process.