Tamil Nadu’s Thiruvannamalai police, in coordination with the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), have recovered two rare idols, a navapashana idol (statue made from nine herbs and minerals) of Lord Murugan and a Krishna idol carved from elephant tusk, at Kandiyankuppam. The recovered idols are valued at over Rs 35 crore and Rs 35 lakh, respectively.

The WCCB, which monitors the smuggling of elephant tusk-based artifacts, received a tip-off about a gang operating near Hosur and Krishnagiri. Acting on the information, a team led by Karthikeya IPS apprehended two suspects, Venkatesan and Rajasekar, in Kandiyankuppam.

The recovered idols were handed over to the Thiruvannamalai District Forest Department for further examination. Officials revealed that if the navapashana idol is authenticated, its value could soar even higher due to its rarity.

The investigation suggests links to a Bengaluru-based gang believed to be orchestrating the smuggling racket. Authorities have expanded their probe to dismantle the wider network. Further details are awaited.

In another incident, Arulmigu Kandaswamy temple in Thiruporur near Chennai in Tamil Nadu reportedly denied a devotee’s request to return his iPhone which he accidently dropped into the ‘hundi’ (donation box or hundial), asserting that it has now become temple property.

The temple administration permitted the man to retrieve the data from his Apple device, but declined to return the phone itself. Dinesh, however, stood firm, insisting on the phone’s return.