7 arrested for stealing Chola era statue, were planning to sell it for Rs 2 crore

Chennai : Tamil Nadu police on Saturday arrested seven people for allegedly stealing a Chola era Lord Vishnu idol. Police from the idol cell of Tamil Nadu CID said that the ancient idol worth Rs 2 crore has also been recovered from the accused.
The CID team of Thanjavur Range, led by a police inspector, nabbed the accused on August 8 based on a tip-off. The team recovered a two-and-a-half-foot metal Perumal (Vishnu) idol from a car during a check on the Thanjavur-Tiruchirappalli National Highway at Melathiruvizhapatti. A CID cell release on the case said five people were in the car.
The idol was hidden in the stable
Upon interrogation, one of the five occupants of the car, Dinesh, reportedly claimed that his father had found the idol 12 years ago while digging the land in the Thozhuvarur river. The accused, 28-year-old A. Dinesh, hails from Tiruvarur district. During interrogation, the accused said that he had not informed the Tehsildar or the Village Administrative Officer (VAO) about the idol and had hidden it in his cattle stable.
The idol was being sold for Rs 2 crore
The release issued by the CID cell further stated that the accused Dinesh told the police that after his father's death, he and his associates decided to sell the idol for Rs 2 crore. However, the suspects could not show any documents regarding the purchase of the idol, so a case has been registered under various sections of the Indian Civil Defence Code and the Indian Justice Code. Also, all the seven people were arrested and sent to judicial custody on August 9.
The statue is from the Chola era
The police have also seized the vehicles of the accused. The ancient idol was brought to the Kumbakonam court. According to the release, preliminary investigation into the case has revealed that the idol dates back to the 15th or 16th century and was probably made during the Chola era. There is also a suspicion that it may have been stolen from an unknown temple in Tamil Nadu. Police said that investigation is underway to find out from which temple the idol was stolen. Investigation is also being done to find out whether any other person is involved in this case or not.
(With agency input)