The idol wing CID of Tamil Nadu police has secured seven antique idols found in a metallic sculpture unit that was being run by a man named Ramachandran near Auroville in Viluppuram district of Tamil Nadu on Friday, September 16. Ramachandran runs an idol shop called Metal Craft in Bommayapalayam, near Auroville. The idol wing police conducted a surprise inspection of his shop after getting a tip-off that his shop was being used illegally to smuggle antique idols to foreign countries.
The idol wing did not recover anything during their raid at Ramachandran's office. However, there were many contradictions in his response to police’s queries regarding the certificates given by the industrial department for antique idols. The idol wing officers then expanded the search and raided the nearest garden located next to his store.
The idol wing police found seven antique, metal idols buried in the garden. Three Arthanareeswaran idols, sized small to large, as well as idols of Buddha, Krishna, and some peacock idols were found in the garden.
It is to be noted that this incident took place within a week after officials of the Tamil Nadu idol wing CID seized 20 antique artefacts from the residence of a French national who was living in Auroville on September 11. The search was conducted by Jayanth Murali IPS, DGP of the Tamil Nadu idol wing CID and Inspector Indira, and they discovered articles were 13 stone idols, four metal idols, one wooden artefact, one painting and one terracotta idol. The idol wing searched his residence based on a tip-off. The officials said these idols were allegedly stored to be smuggled out of the country.
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