CHENNAI: The Idol Wing CID of Tamil Nadu Police said that they recently arrested four persons who were in possession of a stolen Amman idol.

On May 13, a special team of Idol Wing, on suspicion, intercepted a car at Vadavallanadu, when they conducted vehicle inspections at National Highways at Thoothukudi. As the occupants in the car gave evasive replies, the police searched the car and found a gunny bag containing an Amman metal idol measuring about two feet.

The occupants in the car initially claimed innocence about the idol's presence and tried to convince the police that the car did not belong to any of them. However, after sustained investigations, one of the occupants in the car, R Vignesh (26) told the police that he stole the idol along with his friends, who were also present in the car.

The probe revealed that the accused learned about the idol locked up in a godown in Thoothukudi town and broke into the premises to steal the idol.

A case was registered by the Idol Wing CID-Tirunelveli range and four of them - R Vignesh (26), S Pratap (30), S Thanga Satish (26), and R Vetrivel (35) were arrested.

All four of them were produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody in Virudhunagar prison. Investigations are under way to trace the source of the idols.