Coimbatore: Coimbatore Special Team cops have nabbed 3 persons at Ottanchathiram after 2 people were arrested and jailed in connection with an attempt to sell antique idols worth crores of rupees in Coimbatore.
Coimbatore: Coimbatore Special Team cops have nabbed 3 persons at Ottanchathiram after 2 people were arrested and jailed in connection with an attempt to sell antique idols worth crores of rupees in Coimbatore.
Recently, Coimbatore Variety Hall police were on patrol on Idayar Road when three persons were loitering there in a suspicious condition. When they saw the police, they tried to flee, but the cops chased them and caught them. While one person escaped, two were taken to the police station for questioning.
Later, when the two were interrogated by the Police, it was revealed that they had with them a piece of an antique idol. Following this, the police found that the two were Jayachandran alias Hari (36) of Sullivan Road, Coimbatore and Bala Venkatesh (36) of Selvapuram Amul Nagar.
In their confession to the police, they told that Thirunavukarasu, a resident of Ottanchathiram in Dindigul district had given them a broken part of a panchaloha idol weighing 200 grams for selling and that he would pay relevant commission for the purpose.
Police confiscated a part of the idol from them and set up a special team led by Inspector Parveen Banu to conduct an intense investigation. Under the circumstances, the Special team went to Oddanchatram and arrested Thirunavukarasu (38), Deenadayalan (36) and Arun (41) based on the information given by the two arrested.
Also, a male idol weighing 33 kg and a female idol weighing 20 kg were seized from them. These are said to be worth crores of rupees.
Investigation revealed that they brought the idols from Madurai to Ottanchathiram and tried to break a part of them and sell it in Coimbatore for a good price.
Coimbatore Police Commissioner Sumit Sharan said, "The value of the statue is to be studied by the Archaeological Department. An investigation is underway into which temple or palace the idols were stolen from." He also lauded the special team police who confiscated the idols and arrested the culprits.
Recently, Coimbatore Variety Hall police were on patrol on Idayar Road when three persons were loitering there in a suspicious condition. When they saw the police, they tried to flee, but the cops chased them and caught them. While one person escaped, two were taken to the police station for questioning.
Later, when the two were interrogated by the Police, it was revealed that they had with them a piece of an antique idol. Following this, the police found that the two were Jayachandran alias Hari (36) of Sullivan Road, Coimbatore and Bala Venkatesh (36) of Selvapuram Amul Nagar.
In their confession to the police, they told that Thirunavukarasu, a resident of Ottanchathiram in Dindigul district had given them a broken part of a panchaloha idol weighing 200 grams for selling and that he would pay relevant commission for the purpose.
Police confiscated a part of the idol from them and set up a special team led by Inspector Parveen Banu to conduct an intense investigation. Under the circumstances, the Special team went to Oddanchatram and arrested Thirunavukarasu (38), Deenadayalan (36) and Arun (41) based on the information given by the two arrested.
Also, a male idol weighing 33 kg and a female idol weighing 20 kg were seized from them. These are said to be worth crores of rupees.
Investigation revealed that they brought the idols from Madurai to Ottanchathiram and tried to break a part of them and sell it in Coimbatore for a good price.
Coimbatore Police Commissioner Sumit Sharan said, "The value of the statue is to be studied by the Archaeological Department. An investigation is underway into which temple or palace the idols were stolen from." He also lauded the special team police who confiscated the idols and arrested the culprits.