6 idols stolen from temple

Police sources said there are more than 30 antique idols in the temple, out of which six were stolen.

The stolen ones included two idols of the main deity Mallinadhar (each one-foot tall), a nine-inch-tall Jolamalini idol, idols of Dharanedhran and Padmavathy (each two-foot-tall) and a one-and-half-foot-tall Parsha Nadhar idol.

The antique value and the exact age of the stolen idols were not known.

The theft came to light on Sunday morning when the temple watchman  found the locks of the gate and wooden door of the temple broken.

Villupuram District Superintendent of Police S P Jayakumar visited the temple and held preliminary inquiries.

He said three special teams have been formed to crack the case.