Police recover two antique idols near Thanjavur, arrest 4

Trichy: The idol wing police have arrested four smugglers and recovered two antique metal idols smuggled in a car during a vehicle check on the Thanjavur-Chennai National Highway near Kumbakonam. Police dated the idols to the 14th-15th century period.Police, in a release, said a team inspected a car parked near Valayapettai on Friday night and found two metal idols wrapped in gunny bags. Police questioned driver K Ramachandran and C Manikandan in the car and asked them to produce documents to prove ownership of the idols. They learnt that the idols were stolen and the duo and two of their accomplices were trying to sell them abroad.One of the idols was possibly deity of Sudharsanar-Vishnu weighing 77.3kg, measuring 90cm high and 48cm wide, and another was a female goddess idol, Devi, weighing 35.4kg, 73cm high, and 31cm wide. Police seized the idols and the car. Based on a complaint from sub-inspector of police K Dhandayudhapani, a case has been registered. Police also arrested V Mugilan and S Johnson. All four men were produced before the additional chief judicial court, Kumbakonam, and were remanded in judicial custody.In a separate incident, ADSP, Trichy, G Balamurugan, received information that an antique stone pillar, about 0.5 tonne, featuring a bas-relief of a deity was seized by Federal Ministry of Interior Criminal Intelligence Service, cultural property unit, Austria (Bundeskrinalamt). Curator of idol wing P S Sriraman examined the photographs of the pillar and opined that it was made of a light buff granite block usually found in north-western regions of Tamil Nadu (Krishnagiri-Dharmapuri belt) or adjoining areas such as Kolar district of Karnataka or Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. The pillar dated to the 18th-19th century is likely from small mandapas. The process of repatriation of the pillar from Austria is underway. Further investigation is on.