Another idol smuggled out from TN by Subash Kapoor traced in US

CHENNAI: Idol wing sleuths investigating the theft of antique stone statue of Buddha from a temple in Arapakkam in Kancheepuram in the year 2003, with the help of art enthusiast Vijay Kumar, found that the idol had been seized from idol smuggler Subash Kapoor’s gallery - Art of the Past - in New York by the District Attorney's office in Manhattan and was now available in their warehouse.

It may be noted that Subhash Kapoor who was recently convicted, turned out to be responsible for the theft and disappearance of the Buddha idol from Kanchipuram, said DGP Jayanth Murali, heading idol wing.

The Idol Wing has now prepared the papers and will be submitting the papers within a week's time to bring the Buddha idol back to Tamil Nadu and have it reinstalled in its original place at Arapakkam, Kancheepuram.

In another case of idol theft, the idol wing investigators has stumbled upon a catalogue of Sotheby's saying that a metal idol of Alingana Murthy (Chandra Shekhar and Chandra Shekhar Amman in embrace position) stolen from Tolisvarar Temple KovilPalayam, Kunnam, Perambalur, was sold in 1998 for US $ 85000.

Idol Wing also prepared the papers for retrieval of the Nataraja idol - stolen from Kothandaramaswamy temple in Kovilpatti - from France. Based on a request from TN police, Christie's, Paris had stopped the auction of the said Nataraja idol two weeks back.

The wing hopes to retrieve the idol and restore it to the temple, Kovilpatti soon, a press note said.