It has come to light that certain powers in Tamil Nadu Government and some leaders of certain political parties do not want the Idol Wing-Criminal Investigation Department of the Police to make any inroads into the investigation in the missing antique idols and artifacts worth billions of rupees from the temples in the State. More than 5,000 antique copper idols and artifacts of the State temples have been found in the art museums in global capital cities.
The Madras High Court which is hearing various petitions moved by devotees in the State. The HC has asked the State Government on Monday to furnish the details of the infrastructure facilities provided to A G Ponn Manickavel, former Inspector General of Police who was heading the Idol Wing-Criminal Investigation Department. Mentionworthy, he has been made officer on special duty to investigate the disappearance of the antique idols from the State-run temples.
Though Manickavel was appointed as OSD by the Madras High Court to probe the cases of missing idols, the State Government has not provided any office facilities or men to the former to take up the investigation. The AIADMK-led Government does not want Manickavel to probe the case and us trying all tricks in its armour to derail the investigation. “The callous attitude of the Government is such that it is not providing him an office room and it shows the able designs of the authorities concerned ,” said TR Ramesh, a banker–turned- temple activist.
The shadow boxing between Manickavel and the Idol Wing –CID came to light on Sunday when a gang of tricksters decamped with cash worth Rs 11 crore and gold weighing 150 sovereign from a jewellery shop. The CID was unfortunately waylayed to the outskirts of Chennai city.
The incident has all the ingredients of a Tamil pot-boiler and included impersonation executed with perfection. The cash and gold jewellery belonged to Kiran Rao, a Chennai-based socialite and leading antique jewellery dealer who is already in the dock in connection with the seizure of temple idols and artefacts from her Poes Garden residence early last year by the Idol Wing-CID of Tamil Nadu Police. Madras High Court had given anticipatory bail to Rao and Ranvir Shah, city-based art collector and businessman in connection with the seizure of temple artefacts from their premises.
Rao’s art gallery had participated in an exhibition held at the temple city of Madurai on Friday and Saturday. Dayanidhi, manager of the gallery along with her employees were on their way back to Chennai on Sunday when a group of seven persons posing as officers from the Idol wing-CID interrupted the van and started physically examining the ‘goods’. A person posing as the officer- in charge who was in police uniform instructed Dayanidhi and his assistants to shift the jewellery and old to the “official” car for physical verification.
The officer also gave a dressing down to Dayanidhi for not making himself available for interrogation in connection with the earlier case. The “police officer” instructed them to wait at their office in Whites Road for further questioning. The hapless employees proceeded in their van to the office of Rao and waited for hours. It was late into the night that they understood that they have been taken for a ride by the tricksters in the police uniform. A case has been registered by Chennai Police following a complaint cheating by the jewellery shop employees.
