TN identifies Chola-era idol on HSI seizure list

CHENNAI: The idol wing sleuths of TN police has identified yet another idol on the seizure list of Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) that was stolen from a temple in the State and sold by jailed international idol smuggler Subhash Kapoor to a Cambodian art collector.

“The idol wing team headed by ADSP Balamurugan traced a metal idol of Lord Kaliya kalki belonging to Tamil Nadu of Chola period, abroad. “We will question Subash Kapoor to know the origin of the temple from where the idol was stolen,” said an idol wing officer.

During a web enquiry, the team has found articles and websites referring to the particular idol and found that it was sold to art collector Douglas Latchford by Kapoor in the year 2005. It was found that value fixed for the idol at the time of purchase was $6,50,000 (Rs 5.2 crore).

Douglas Latchford was an art collector of Cambodia, India, South East Asia and other Countries. Further investigation revealed that the metal idol is presently in the possession of the HSI, USA.

After the HSI started investigating the art crimes of Subhash Kapoor, the agency had also prosecuted Douglas Latchford and recovered the artefacts from him.

Further enquiry revealed that the bronze idol of Krishna belongs to 11 – 12th century of Chola period. It is also suspected that this idol must have been stolen from a temple in Tamil Nadu by Subhash Chandra Kapoor and his accomplice before 2005.