2 more antique idols stolen from Tamil Nadu traced to US

CHENNAI: The Idol Wing has traced two more antique idols stolen from Tamil Nadu 50 years ago to the US and dispatched legal documents establishing the legal ownership of the State over those idols. They include a bronze idol of Somaskandar and dancing Sambandar of Vishwanatha Swamy Temple, Alathur in Thiruvarur District.

The wing traced one idol to Freer Sackler Museum, Washington DC and the dancing Sambandar to Christies.com USA.

The stolen Sambandar was sold by Christies in 2011 for $98500, equal to Rs 81.54 lakh.

The investigation was carried out by sleuths based on a complaint filed by S Nagarajan Inspector, HR & CE in 2017. In his complaint, he said that three antique metal idols belonging to

Vishwanatha Swamy Temple, had been burgled by unknown miscreants. Neither any images of the original idols were available with the temple authorities nor in other records.

The wing decided to check if any photographs or documents were available with IFP (French Institute of Pondicherry). The investigator, therefore, approached the OFP and requested it to furnish the images of the idols taken and documented by them.

After obtaining the pictures of the idols of the temple, the wing formed teams to look for the idols worldwide in the museums/ art galleries, auction houses and brochures of private collectors using internet. After an extensive search, the Wing was able to locate idol similar to the Somaskandar on the website of Freer Sackler Museum, Washington DC and the Dancing Sambandar on the website of Christies.com (an auction company engaged in selling antiquities artefacts). The images were compared by experts and found that they belonged to the same temples in TN.

After concluding the investigation, DSP Chandrasekaran of IWCID was entrusted with the task of preparing the MLAT and the process of retrieving the idols has begun, said DGP Jayanth Murali, heading the Idol Wing.