Former IG Pon Manickavel said that 39 Swami idols worth Rs. 280 crores should be recovered from the American woman.
Former IG of the Idol Smuggling Prevention Unit Pon Manickavel had darshan of the Swami at the Courtallam Courtalanatha Swamy Temple in Tenkasi district yesterday. Later, he told reporters: The 700-year-old Veenadhara Dakshinamoorthy idol was stolen from the Thiruvenkadar Temple in Pappankulam area 45 years ago. The idol is currently with a woman named Sushma Shereen in the New York state of the United States. She has now set the auction price for the idol at Rs. 12 crores and is trying to sell it. Similarly, she has 39 idols worth Rs. 280 crores. All of these were from Tamil Nadu. Despite providing various documents to the Chief Secretary in this regard, no action has been taken to recover them. The Tamil Nadu government should at least take action to recover all the idols.
The government, which collects taxes through the temples under the control of the Hindu Religious Endowments Department, is refusing to pay even the minimum wage to the temple workers. No full maintenance work is being done in the temples. This situation must change. Pon Manicka Vel said.
Leave a Reply