CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Idol Wing CID recovered seven antique idols from a house at RA Puram on December 7. Among the idols, three belonged to Adhi Kesava Temple at Ulundurpet and were stolen in 2011. The details of the other idols are yet to be ascertained.
The three idols belonging to the temple will be handed over in the coming days. The officials said this could be the first instance where the stolen idols are being returned to the respective temple.
On December 7, while the Idol Wing officials were perusing a list of persons who had registered antique idols with the ASI, an address in RA Puram in which six antique artefacts were registered caught their attention.
It was found the owner of the house had bought the idols - of Adhi Kesava Perumal, Sree Devi, Bhoodevi, Asthira Devar, Amman, Veera Bhadra and Mahadevi - from a from a man named Dheenadhayalan of Aparna Art Gallery at Teynampet.
Sources said Deenadayalan, an idol smuggler and art collector, had died at his house in Alwarpet at the age of 83. He had started the gallery in 1958.