Stolen ‘emerald’ lingam turns out to be mere stone idol

After reading online about an emerald idol at Swayambooveshwarar Koil in Tiruporur, the duo broke into the temple on the night of  June 23 and managed to steal the idol. For ten days, they tried desperately to evaluate the net worth of the idol. When they failed to get a proper picture, they kept the idol in the house of one of the accused at Mannargudi. When police finally picked up the youth, and retrieved the idol, it turned out to be nothing but an ordinary stone idol. 

Police realised what was missing was a stone idol, but of antique value, when they checked the HR and CE website, which has a list of idols in ancient temples in Tamil Nadu. Police then began a hunt for the thieves and managed to secure one of them, C Ramesh (26), a resident of Ramapuram. A Sub-Inspector met Ramesh posing as a buyer of emerald idol, after which Ramesh was picked up. He then led the police team to Y Arul (31). Police also recovered the stolen idol, estimated to be over 200 years. As per the HR&CE website information, the idol at this temple is not registered under the Antiquities and Art Treasuries Rules 1973, with the Department of Archaeology. 

Police said Arul, who worked as a supervisor at a beach resort near Uthandi, hatched the plan with his friend Ramesh. “They first attempted to break in to the temple on the night of June 6 and again tried on June 21. When both their initial attempts failed, they struck again on the night of June 23 and managed to enter the temple. They removed the idol from the base and took away the top portion, believing it to be emerald,” Inspector of Tiruporur police, Ramesh, told DT Next.