Custody of idol smugglers extended till Dec 4

The 1600-year-old two stone idols of Dwaraka Balakar were stolen from the Muneeshwaramudayar temple in Athalanallur in Tirunelveli in January 1995 and the idol wing police arrested all the accused, including the Mumbai-based Vallabha Prakash (87) and his son Aditya Prakash (48), proprietors of Indo-Nepal Art Centre and the brain behind the smuggling . Subsequently, the accused who were arrested were produced in court and then lodged in the central prison in Tiruchy.

Meanwhile, on Monday, Vallabha Prakash and Aditya Prakash were brought amidst tight security to the Kumbakonam court for extending the custodsy till December 4.

It may be noted that a team of idol wing police deputed by the IG (Idol Wing) AG Pon Manickavel, conducted investigation in which the police arrested Lakshmi Narasimhan (53) of Mahabalipuram, in Kanchipuram district, Umaidurai (68) from Mylapore, Annadurai (59) of Thanjavur on November 5.

During the course of interrogation, the accused confessed that Mumbai-based Vallabha Prakash and his son Aditya Prakash, proprietors of Indo-Nepal Art Centre, were the brain behind the smuggling and the gang had reportedly sold the stolen idols to the duo. They also informed the police that the two stolen idols have been kept in the Canberra Gallery in Australia . Subsequently, the police arrested the duo and brought them to Kumbakonam court via Tiruchy.