The investigation into the missing idols from temples in Tamil Nadu has come to a dead end as the special officer probing the case himself coming out in the open and alleging that the State Government was not interested in bringing the culprits to book or in retrieving the idols. The facts disclosed by the top officer probing the case of missing idols from the temples of the State has put the Tamil Nadu Government in a spot as the latter was always against his appointment as OSD to investigate the theft of priceless idols.
Ponn Manickavel, the Special Officer who was appointed by the Madras High Court to probe the missing idol cases after his retirement from Indian Police Service in 2018 November opened up for the first time while speaking to reporters at the Lord Muruga Temple at Palani on Saturday.
“Though the Idol Wing of the Tamil Nadu Police is handicapped by the non-cooperation of the Government, we have traced 20 idols which were stolen from temples in the State and smuggled to foreign countries. But the State Government is not interested in bringing the retraced idols back and has denied funds for even basic expenses,” said Manickavel who was in the temple town in connection with the investigation into anther missing idol.
“A Nataraja idol which went missing from a temple in Tirunelveli in 1982 has been located in a museum in Adelaide . The museum authorities told us that the idol was purchased by them for Rs 30 crore in 2001 and expressed their willingness to return it to us. But the Government should bear the expenses for bringing the idol back,” disclosed Manickavel.
The officer, known for his integrity and honesty throughout his 35 years of service as a super cop revealed that despite his pleas to the then police chief T K Rajendran in 2018, no action has been taken by the government. “What is more disturbing is the attitude of the Tamil Nadu Government. Top bureaucrats and politicians are threatening the witnesses who were willing to furnish all facts regarding the disappearance of the dols from the temples administered by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HRCE ) Department of the Government.
The team probing the missing idols have traced 20 antique idols out of the more than 2,000 idols which went missing from Tamil Nadu and that were smuggled out of the country. “The US Government’s Homeland Security Wing has seized some of the idols which were smuggled from Tamil Nadu. Though the US officials are willing to hand over the idols, we have to depute our representatives to identify the same and bring it back to Tamil Nadu. But the Tamil Nadu government is not willing to bear the expenses,” said Manickavel.
T R Ramesh, president, Temple Worshippers Society, who is keeping track of the details of the stolen idols, said both the AIADMK and the DMK governments do not want the cases to be resolved for obvious reasons. The rationalists Dravidian parties used the temple properties and the antique idols for furthering their personal fortunes. They literally robbed the temples under the HRCE department. Their opposition to the appointment of Manickavel itself is an ideal proof,” said Ramesh.
The Madras High Court in 2018 had ordered the HRCE Department to submit to the court within six weeks details about the 50,000 acres of missing prime landed property owned by the temples. “Till date they have not filed anything in the court,” said Ramesh, He pointed out that the rationalists and the persons who are not interested in bringing to light the daylight robberies happening in temples across the State are the winners in this round of the legal battle.