Three idols returned to Adikesava Perumal temple in Ulundurpet
The Hindu
The idols, stolen from the temple in July 2011, were seized from an art collector’s house in Chennai on December 7
Three antique idols, recovered by the Idol Wing police from an art collector’s house in Chennai on December 7, were handed over on Wednesday to the authorities of the Adikesava Perumal temple at Ulundurpet in Kallakurichi district from where the idols were stolen in 2011.
The Idol Wing team, led by Director General of Police (Idol Wing CID) K. Jayanth Murali, Inspector General of Police Dhinakaran, Superintendent of Police Ravi, and Deputy Superintendents of Police Muthuraja and Mohan, took the three idols in a procession through the streets of Ulundurpet and handed them over to the temple authorities and officials from the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) Department.
The Idol Wing police, while perusing a list of persons who had registered antique idols with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), came across a woman art collector in Raja Annamalai Puram, Chennai, who had registered six antique artefacts that appeared to be stolen from temples.
A special team searched the premises of the art collector and found seven antique idols in her possession. The team found that three of these – the standing Perumal, Sri Devi, and Bhudevi idols – had the name ‘Adikesava Perumal temple, Ulundurpet’ inscribed on their bases. Investigations found that the idols had been stolen from the temple on July 10, 2011.
“We are judges and therefore, cannot act like Mughals of a bygone era ... the writ courts in the guise of doing justice cannot transcend the barriers of law,” the High Court of Karnataka observed while setting aside an order of a single judge, who in 2016 had extended the lease of a public premises allotted to a physically challenged person to 20 years contrary to 12-year period stipulated in the law.
The High Court of Karnataka on Monday declined to interfere, at present, in the investigation against a Bharatiya Janata Party worker, who is among the accused persons facing charges of circulating obscene clips, related to “morphed” images and videos clips related to Prajwal Revanna, former Hassan MP, in public domain through pen drives and other modes.
The 16th edition of Bhoomi Habba was held on June 8, at the Visthar campus. The festival drew a vibrant crowd who came together to celebrate eco-consciousness through a variety of engaging activities, creative workshops, panel discussions, interactive exhibits and performances, all centered around this year’s theme: “Save Water, Save Lives.”