IGP asked to be present in Madras High Court in idol case

Chennai: The Madras High Court has asked the Inspector General of Police, Idol Wing, AG Ponmanickavel to be present in the court on June 29 with all relevant records pertaining to the case relating to idol theft worth '6 crore allegedly involving police personnel.

Justice R. Mahadevan orally asked additional public prosecutor Emilias to inform the IGP, to come to the court with all records relating to the case and posted to June 29 further hearing of the petition filed by Elephant G. Rajendran.
According to Rajendran, a cover was kept in his car on April 12, 2017. When he opened the cover and read the letter in it, he was shocked to learn a serious offence had allegedly been committed by some idol wing police officers.

From the contents of the letter, he came to understand that one Arokiaraj, a resident of Aladipatty village in Virudunagar district, found two idols on his land. Instead of handing over the same to the police, he attempted to sell it to a foreigner in collusion with one Santhanam of the same village. On a tip off, two police personnel, under the guise of purchasing the idol, caught Arokiaraj and Santhanam and handed them over to the higher officials, namely Inspector Kader Batcha and sub-inspector Gopal. These officials, instead of taking action, attempted to sell the idols to an idol smuggler, he added.

Rajendran said his further enquiries revealed that Inspector Kader Batcha and head constable Subraj had caught a photographer when he was attempting to sell idols by showing pictures of idols. They  asked him about the photographs displayed in his studio and on information extracted from him they apprehended the said Arokiaraj and recovered 6 idols.

But, without bringing the idols on record, they kept them in their custody. Thereafter, the idols were sold to a smuggler in Delhi. His further inquiry revealed that on a complaint from DSP Ashok Natarajan, a criminal case was registered by the Idol Wing CID, Chennai against the then Inspector Kader Batcha, the then constable Subraj and another constable. Now the case was pending before Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srivilliputhur.

The case was now being handled by an Inspector of Police. Meanwhile, the then Inspector Kader Batcha was promoted as DSP. Hence, the present inspector cannot effectively conduct the case against a DSP. Moreover, no police personnel were suspended till now. There was a chance for the accused to escape from the clutches of law. Hence, the investigation in the case may be transferred to CBCID, Chennai, he added.