CHENNAI: A 500-year-old metal Hanuman idol which was stolen from a temple in Ariyalur in 2012 and traced to a museum in Australia, has been received by the idol wing. It will be returned to the temple soon, said sources.
The Hanuman idol, along with the idols of Varadaraja Perumal, Sridevi, and Bhoodevi, was stolen in 2012 by breaking open the temple doors. Sendurai police had booked a case but it was closed since no progress was made. The case was transferred to the Idol Wing CID in 2020.
“We traced the idol to a museum in the USA and later found that an art collector residing in Australia had purchased it. When contacted by officials he expressed willingness to hand over the idol,” said a senior police officer.
The idol was handed over to the Indian High Commission in Canberra, which sent it to the ASI in New Delhi. The idol was brought to the state on Friday. The other three idols are yet to be traced, the police said.