Three Chola-era bronze idols were seized from the residence of a German national in Auroville, the Idol Wing Police CID said on Tuesday.
The German and his wife, Poppo Pingel, 80, and Mona Pingel, were questioned for clandestine possession of ancient idols believed to be in temples where worshipers can worship. The idols were found hidden in the attic of a house where the couple lived.
The Idol Wing has received information from a source that a German national and his wife, residing in Irumbai, Kottakarai were in clandestine possession of ancient artifacts from the Chola era.
Director General of Police, Idol Wing CID (DGP IWCID) K. Jayanth Murali and Inspector General of Police R. Dhinakaran have planned to conduct a search operation. After reconnaissance inquiries and after verifying the information they had received, the Idol Wing obtained a search order from the additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kumbakonam.
On Monday afternoon, a special police team from Idol wing led by Inspector Indira raided Mr. Pingel’s home in Yantra, Irumbai, Kottakarai, Auroville community in Villupuram district. They seized ancient bronze idols from Nataraja, Amman and Chandrasekhara which were concealed in an attic on the first floor of the sprawling house. The ancient idols, according to experts, may belong to the Chola era, are worth several crores in the international market.
When the search began, the Idol Wing team encountered resistance from the residents of the house despite their valid order.
Mr Jayanth Murali said that after overcoming resistance, the team initially found nothing. When they intensified the search on the first floor of the house, they found three ancient idols hidden in the attic of the bedroom. When the German man was questioned about the ancient idols, he had no papers and refused to answer questions regarding the origin or source from which he had obtained the idols,” he said. .
“An investigation is underway to find out whether the German national had [previously] smuggled ancient idols from India to Germany and the people from whom he purchased or obtained the idols,” the DGP, IW CID, said in a press release.
