Chennai: More than 130 were seized from businessman and founder of Prakriti foundation Ranvir Shah’s farmhouses in Kulangancheri and Mogalvadi in Kancheepuram on Tuesday. This comes after 91 idols were seized from his residence at Saidapet last Thursday.
The idol wing CID police team headed by IG Pon Manickavel raided the farmhouses of Ranvir Shah in Kulangalcheri and Mogalvadi.
On Tuesday around 10.30 am the police team raided Ranvir Shah’s farmhouse in Mogalvadi Village near Melmaruvathur where 84 idols and artefacts were confiscated.
Following this, they headed to another farmhouse owned by him at Kulangancheri in Padappai where more than 50 idols were seized. Some of the artefacts were buried inside in the garden of the farmhouses.
Speaking about this, idol wing IG Pon Manikavel said, “Many rich people in Tamil Nadu have idols hidden in their houses. It will be better if they return it now, or action will be taken.”
So far, the idol wing police personnel have not summoned Ranvir Shah. A senior police officer said, “We will summon Ranvir Shah soon to interrogate him after collecting sufficient evidence against him”.
Earlier the idol wing CID police conducted a two-day surprise check at Ranvir Shah’s residence in Saidapet on Thursday.
Police seized about 91 idols and artefacts from his house. Many pillars and huge stone statues are suspected to have been stolen from Hindu temples across Tamil Nadu. The seized idols included 1,000-year-old Chola period Panchaloha idols, officials said.
