THANJAVUR/CHENNAI: Timely action by the Idol Wing CID prevented the auction of an antique metal idol valued around Rs 8 crore at an art exhibition held in the Netherlands, which was stolen from a temple in Nagapattinam around 15 years ago.
The Kannappa Nayanar metal idol was secured by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 23, 2025, after the intervention by the Idol Wing CID and the Archaeological Survey of India. Legal proceedings are now under way to bring the idol back to India, a press note said.
The idol had been stolen 15 years ago from Arulmigu Agneeswarar Swamy Temple in Thirupugalur in Nagapattinam, with a case registered at Thittachery Police Station, and investigations have been ongoing since then.
The 11th to 12th century idol measures 64 cm in height, 25 cm in width and weighs 23 kg.
Recently, the idol wing CID came to know that the idol was kept at the European Fine Arts Exhibition-2025 held in Maastricht city of Netherlands and that it was up for auction.
Immediately, the wing took up the issue with the police officials in the Netherlands and the officials of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to prevent the auction. The idol’s present market value is around `8 crore, the Idol Wing CID sources said.