Panchaloha idol of Lord Muruga seized from lathe workshop

Around 2 pm, a team comprising special officer AG Pon Manickavel who is heading the wing, and ASP Rajaram and DSP Sundaram raided the workshop at Ekkaduthangal and seized the idol.

Preliminary inquiries revealed that the idol could have been stolen from a temple in Nemili village near Arakkonam two years ago. Desika Adigal from Nemili village, Mukesh from Kanniyakumari and Ismail, a tea shop owner from Kirumambakkam in Puducherry, were planning to sell the idol for Rs 1 crore, said Idol Wing sleuths.

Owner of the lathe, Sivakumar, who was arrested from the spot, would be taken to Kumbakonam to be produced before the special court for idol theft cases. The seizure comes even as Manickavel, who retired as IG, is facing rebellion from a section of Idol Wing sleuths who alleged that he was forcing them to foist false cases against certain people.