Retired police IG Ponn Manickavel has called for the recovery of ancient idols allegedly smuggled out of Tamil Nadu and now located in several foreign countries.
He said 39 stone and panchaloha (five-metal) idols taken from old temples in the state are currently in places including New York and California in the US, as well as Singapore, the UK and Australia. He estimated their value in India at ₹268.86 crore. In addition, he noted that 33 other idols have already been seized and are presently before a US court.
Manickavel alleged that two previous state governments failed to act decisively to bring the idols back. He also criticised senior officials, including the DGP, for not moving quickly on the issue under the current government.
Referring to idol-smuggling accused Subash Chandra Kapoor, he said six warrants had been sent seeking his arrest, but the Union government had not acted on them. He urged Chief Minister Vijay to meet the Prime Minister, accompanied by the Additional DGP of the Idol Wing, to pursue the recovery process.
Manickavel further said that once retrieved, the idols should not be kept merely as display pieces, but should be returned to the very temples from which they were taken.
