The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Kumbakonam, on Monday cancelled the conditional bail granted last December to N.Thirumagal, Additional Commissioner, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR and CE) Board in the case of idol swap at Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple, Mylapore, Chennai, during 2004. The prosecution contended in court that she had violated her bail conditions.

The HR & CE official was arrested in December 2018 by the Idol Wing Police for her alleged involvement in swapping of the granite peacock idol during the consecration at the temple, when she had served as its Executive Officer. The petitioner, Rangarajan Narasimham of Srirangam, alleged that granite idols of the peacock ‘Raaghu’ and ‘Kethu’ were swapped.

Investigation by the Idol Wing revealed that three idols were swapped at the time of the consecration and subsequently stolen.

Surmising that the swap of idols had taken place with the “knowledge and connivance” of the official when she was the Executive Officer (in the cadre of Deputy Commissioner), the Idol Wing claimed that records relating to the incident were destroyed.

As her anticipatory bail application was rejected by the Madras High Court in November last year, she moved the Supreme Court and obtained an order on December 13, 2018 stating that “in the event of the petitioner’s arrest, she may be released on bail on such terms and conditions as may be imposed by the trial court”.

A few days later, she was summoned to the Idol Wing office in Chennai. After the inquiry, she was arrested and taken to Kumbakonam and remanded in judicial custody. After the remand procedures, the magistrate directed the Idol Wing CID police to produce her before the court on December 17 and she was granted conditional bail. She moved a petition seeking relaxation of conditions laid out in her bail. When this came up for hearing on September 3, the court was informed by the prosecution that she had jumped the bail condition twice and hence her conditional bail be cancelled.