'Panchaloha' idols seized, 4 arrested

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, JULY 11. The City police today seized four "panchaloha" idols, said to be of the era of Cholanayakas who ruled Karnataka 14 centuries ago. Valued at crores of rupees, the idols were stolen from temples in and around the City and Gowribidanur taluk in Kolar District. Four persons have been arrested in this connection.

Police said the idols, including a rare 33-kg. ``panchamukhi'' Ganesha (Ganesha with five faces) one, had been stolen in the past one year. The rare antic was stolen from the Panchamukhi Ganapa Temple at Tavarekere in Bangalore Rural District. While the idols of Chandramouleshwara and Godess Lakshmi were stolen from the Basaveshvara Temple of Hirebidanur in Gowribidanur taluk of Kolar District, the Satyanarayanaswamy idol was stolen from a temple in Upparpet.

The accused are said to have admitted to the police that they had taken away a Lakshmi idol from Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Chickpet. It has been recovered already by the Andhra Pradesh Police, according to Mr. Ravindraprasad, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime).

He told presspersons that the idols were stolen about a year ago by the accused. However, they had not sold them yet as they were waiting for bidders, who could offer higher prices. He declined to name those who had approached them to purchase the idols, saying the accused had not revealed any name so far.

He said the officers of Department of Archaeology were ascertaining the antiquity of the idols. However, the department had hinted that these artefacts were worth crores of rupees in the international market. He said the team, led by Mr. Belliappa, Assistant Commissioner of Police, which busted the racket, had been rewarded.

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Section  : Southern States
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