The Tamil Nadu Idol Wing CID sleuths posed as idol exporters and seized an idol of Lord Nataraja in Coimbatore, the police said on Monday.
The following information that one H Sivaprasath Namboothiri of Palakkad in Kerala attempted to peddle an antique idol of the Lord Nataraja through a broker for Rs 8 crore a month ago, Idol Wing DGP K Jayanth Murali, along with IGP, Idol Wing, Dinakaran, and Superintendent of Police Ravi, hatched a plan to disguise the staff of the wing as prominent idol exporters to approach the seller.
Accordingly, Inspector Prema Santhakumari, Sub-Inspectors Pandiarajan, and Rajesh of the Madurai unit of the Idol Wing were instructed to masquerade as buyers and approach the idol seller. They established contact with the seller a month ago and conversations over the phone with Sivaprasath Namboothiri were recorded to be used as evidence later.
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In one such conversation, the seller divulged that the idol was more than 300 years old and that he was willing to sell it for Rs 8 crore.
After a great deal of persuasion, Namboothiri agreed to meet Pandiarajan at a place in Irugur Junction, Palladam Road, Coimbatore district on November 6.
Immediately, a team was formed under ADSP Central Zone Balamurugan to initiate the raid. When Namboothiri reached the Irugur Junction, the inspector and her team nabbed him.
During the enquiry, he confessed that he decided to sell Nataraja's idol through a broker for Rs 8 crore. Documents prepared to execute the sale were also seized along with the idol.
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Along with Thiruvachi (ornamental arch), Lord Nataraja's idol weighed 26.8 kg, a release said.
DGP C Sylendra Babu, Jayanth Murali, Dhinakaran, and Ravi appreciated and rewarded ADSP Balamurugan and his team for their excellent work.
