MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court has stayed further proceedings on the closure report filed by the CBI in an idol theft case, following a petition filed by former Idol Wing IGP Pon Manickavel that it was not filed before the competent court.
A case was registered against former DSP Kader Batcha and two police personnel for stealing idols and selling them to a dealer named Deenadayalan for Rs 15 lakh.
The case was re-registered and probed by the CBI based on an order passed by the high court in 2022. On June 10, 2024, the agency filed a closure report before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Madurai.
Manickavel, who is also being investigated by the CBI in a separate case based on the HC’s direction, submitted that the state government passed a notification on May 22, 2024, designating the Additional CJM Court, Madurai as the Special Court for trial of idol theft cases.
Since the case against Batcha pertains to Virudhunagar, the closure report ought to have been filed before the Additional CJM, Madurai, Manickavel said. He requested the high court to direct the CJM, Madurai to return the closure report and direct CBI to file the same before the Additional CJM Court. Observing that the petitioner has made out a prima facie case, the judge ordered an interim stay.