Chennai: The principal sessions court in Chennai dismissed on Friday the bail petition of a person arrested in connection with the theft of temple idols recently. The court adjourned the bail petition of another accused arrested on similar charges to Monday. City public prosecutor M.L. Jegan said on a tip-off, idol wing-CID police, raided a shopping complex in T. Nagar last month. They seized the idols of Sri Vinayaka and Sri Kala Bhairavar from N. Suyambulingam, 37, of Kayalpattinam, Thoothukudi district.
Preliminary investigations found that a gang comprising eight persons planned to sell the stolen idols worth Rs 24 lakh, to unidentified persons abroad. Later, the cops arrested seven others, including Valvarasan, 24, of Ponneri, Rajasekar and Justin. The metropolitan magistrate court-II had dismissed the bail petition of Suyambulingam on May 25 and June 5. Subsequently, Suyambulingam and Valvarasan filed separate bail pleas before the principal sessions court.
On Friday, Jegan submitted that they had committed serious offences and planned to smuggle the idols to foreign countries. Besides this, the bail petitions filed by co-accused Rajasekar and Justin were pending before the Madras high court. Hence, he sought dismissal of their plea. While dismissing the bail plea of Valvarasan, principal sessions court judge N. Authinathan adjourned the hearing on the bail plea of Suyambulingam to Monday.
