90 antique artefacts seized from socialite’s house in city

Officials, who acted on a tip-off, said the seized idols and temple pillars are suspected to have been stolen from temples across TN and sold to him. A few of the seized idols could be from the Chola dynasty, an officer added. 

A team led by Inspector General of Police, AG Ponn Manickavel, reached Shah’s residence at Sr Nagar Colony and seized the artefacts.  Police said that Shah is a purchaser of antique material and a probe into the businessman possessing a huge number of antiques is yet to begin. 

Shah, who had acted in Minsara kanavu, is also a founder-trustee of Prakriti Foundation based in Chennai. Police said that among the 89 items seized, 56 were stone idols, 22 pillars and 12 metal idols, including a few Panchaloha idols. “An antique of very high value, a Siva-Parvathi idol, used to be kept in his puja room,” an official said. “Shah purchased these idols from a seller. He has documents to prove the purchase. But he is ignorant of the idols’ whereabouts earlier,” a senior official said.  

Police have not ruled out the possibility of Shah purchasing all the artefacts through Dheenadayalan, one of the kingpins of idol smuggling who ran a gallery in the city. He was arrested in 2016. It may be recalled that police had raided Shah’s premises when they arrested Dheenadayalan two years back. All the seized artefacts were loaded in trucks and transported to Kumbakonam to produce in a court there. 

Later in the day, Shah claimed in a release that the statues and objects seized from his house were purchased after paying valid consideration as per existing market value. “The statues and objects were legally and painstaking acquired from various licensed antiquity dealers. Documents and paperwork are registered with ASI. I will produce all necessary documents as may be required,” Shah said.