Chennai: The suspended DSP, Kadhar Batcha, who had gone absconding after idol wing sleuths registered a case against him of carrying out an armed robbery of idols in Madurai, was arrested in Kumbakonam on Wednesday night by an idol wing team under the supervision of IG Pon. Manickavel.
His associate in crime, N Subburaj, a special sub inspector working in the Koyambedu police station, was arrested on June 27 by the idol wing. Both Kadhar Batcha and Suburaj were cited as accused for robbing idols 9 years ago in Madurai at gunpoint.
Idol thief inspector in judicial custody
Immediately after Subburaj's arrest, Kadhar Batcha, who was serving as DSP, CCB, Thiruvallur district went missing. In the same week, Pon Manickavel who was IG, idol wing was transferred and posted as IG railway.
The high court had asked the TN government last month to hand over all the idol wing cases to Pon.Manickavel to investigate. Cases were handed over to him last week and his team nabbed Kadhar Batcha on Wednesday night from Kumbakonam.
“He has been booked for armed robbery, illegal investigation and also under the Arms Act. He was produced before the additional CJM court in Kumbakonam and remanded to judicial custody.
We are planning to take him into custody and interrogate him soon,” said a senior idol wing officer.
Subburaj was constable attached to idol wing then and Kadhar Basha was working as inspector in the same unit when they went to Madurai in May 2008 in the guise of investigation and robbed three idols from two persons after assaulting and threatening them at gunpoint.
The idols were then brought to Chennai, but the two never recorded the case. Instead, they allegedly sold the Siva- Parvathy idols to Dheenadayalan, an art dealer dealing with smuggled antique idols. Nine years later, when inspector general of police, idol wing, AG Pon Manickavel came to know about the involvement of the policemen who had earlier worked in the unit, a FIR was registered and action initiated against the 'dirty' cops.
