CHENNAI: The Idol Wing police recovered three antique metal idols worth Rs 12 crore of Nataraja, Veenadhara Shiva and Vishnu from a house in Puducherry on Tuesday.
A press release said, the idols were recovered from the house of Joseph Columbani (deceased) of Subrain street. These idols were found without the necessary paperwork and the police said in the past attempts were made to smuggle these idols to France.
According to the press statement, the idols could have been stolen from temples in the 80s. They are believed to be nearly 600 years old and could belong to the Chola or Vijayanagara period. The police said they received information about these idols on Tuesday during investigation of a 2016 case. Around 15 accused were arrested in 2016 for selling antique idols. Among the 15, many are dead.