Idol theft: Madras High Court asks TN govt to produce records
The bench directed the government to file reply and posted the plea to September 7 for further hearing.
Chennai: Madras high court has directed the state government to produce all the communications and records that transpired between the Tamil Nadu home department and the DGP office in connection with the move to transfer all pending and future cases of temple idol theft to CBI.
A special division bench of Justices R. Mahadevan and A.D. Audikesavalu, before which a petition filed by an advocate ‘Elephant’ G. Rajendran challenging the transfer of the idol theft cases to CBI, came up for hearing, sought for the copies. The court also permitted the petitioner to issue private notice to CBI in connection with the case.
In another plea, Rajendran sought the court to direct the state and the idol wing to release all idols currently housed in the icon centres and install them in the respective temples. The bench directed the government to file reply and posted the plea to September 7 for further hearing.
Rajendran said the idols kept in the icon centres are antiques made for performance of daily poojas during auspicious days. Except ‘Urchavar’ (procession deity) idols no other icons are taken out of the centre for performance of poojas or for public viewing.
He said the idols kept in such centres without performing poojas would lose its power and also it would bring curse on the people and the rulers of the state. Denying appropriate poojas to such idols is a sin and would affect the sentiments of the devotees.