HC orders State to respond on missing idols

CHENNAI: Madras High Court has ordered notices to the State to file a detailed report on a plea seeking police investigation into ancient idols missing from temples in Thanjavur and several other unlisted temples in the State.Petitioner R Venkataraman alleged that even the documents of lands owned by several temples in the State had been lost.

He also stated that, during a recent inspection conducted by Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department, it came to light that, in some places where unlisted temples once existed, there are no signs of temples at all now.

Also, the authorities found that even the main deities of such temples were missing. Instead, the authorities were trying to create new registries by modifying the existence of such temples and the possession of the lands owned by them, he alleged.

The petitioner said, besides sending several representations to the HR&CE, he also complained to the idol wing police to register a case. The two-member vacation bench directed HR&CE and Police Department to file a detailed report on the petition by January 4.