Chennai: Three men who stole a metal ‘amman’ idol from a temple in Walajabad taluk in Kancheepuram district were nabbed by the Idol Wing CID on Thursday.Acting on specific intelligence, a special team led by Inspector of Police G Umarani and supervised by the deputy superintendent of police, Idol Wing CID, North Zone, maintained surveillance near the Thimmarajanpettai bus stop in Walajabad taluk in Kancheepuram district. Around 6.30 pm, officers noticed three men behaving suspiciously, one of whom was carrying a cloth bag. The trio attempted to flee on seeing the police but were apprehended. A search led to the seizure of a metal Amman idol measuring 30.5cm in height and 16cm in width, weighing about 2.3kg.The men were identified as Premkumar, 33, of Thellimedu in Chengalpet district; Purushothaman, 33, of Athur Vadapathi in Chengalpattu district; and Vignesh, 36, of Nathapettai in Kancheepuram district. They were unable to produce documents to establish lawful possession of the idol.Preliminary inquiries revealed that the idol was stolen from a temple in the area. Inspector M Deivanayagi of the Idol Wing-CID, Villupuram range, is investigating to identify the temple and determine how the accused smuggled it out. “We have contacted representatives of a few temples. One of them reported that an idol had been stolen, and we have asked them to produce photographs of the missing idol for verification,” an official said.A case was registered on June 25 under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. The suspects were produced before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Egmore, Chennai and the three were remanded in judicial custody until July 9.Investigation is on to determine whether the accused are linked to a larger idol-smuggling network.
