Idol smuggling - The government has to protect the priceless treasure

 

Idol smuggling - The government has to protect the priceless treasure

In July 2022, in an idol theft case that came before the Madras High Court, there was a situation where two officers of the Idol Wing -Criminal Investigation Department accused each other on abuse of power. Finally the court intervened and tasked the CBI to find out who was telling the truth. As the saying goes, “the  thief is in the ship itself”. We can experience such situation in every area where wealth is involved. It is certain that there will be a group of people protecting the guilty. This is happening everywhere, from Customs and Police to Revenue and Excise.

The case is as follows. The government did not allow Khader Batcha, an ex-DYSP, to retire from the service for allegedly having illicit links with idol smugglers. Khader approached the court. Khader alleged that retired Inspector General of Police AG Pon Manikavel helped international idol smuggler Subhash Chandra Kapoor and his local agent Deendayal. While examining the related files , Justice G. Jayachandran  identified that Khader had  joined the IW-CID in 2007 and was transferred to the Chennai Police in 2011. Khader was the one who found 38 idols and nabbed 8 notorious smugglers while working in IW-CID. He had 329 awards in his credit. A perusal of Manikavel's file showed  that a division bench of the Madras High Court and a judge of the Madurai bench have praised his services.

Khader alleged that Manikavel  falsely implicated him in the case of theft of 13 idols from Tirunelveli Palavur Shiva Temple in 2005. In 2008, Khader had filed a charge sheet against 8 people including Deenadayalan in the Palavur case. But the court also learned that a new FIR was registered against  Khader in 2017 by Manikavel  after the court appointed him as a special officer to investigate all idol theft cases in Tamil Nadu. Khader alleged that the case against him was a drama by Manikavel along with Deendayalan to get media attention. He also said that this was an act of revenge. It was alleged that Manikavel was able to save Deendayalan by making him an approver.

 In Manikavel's final report, Subhash Kapoor was listed as the main accused in the Palavur case. In the additional report of 2017, it was said that Kapoor would be brought to justice. In fact, Kapoor was arrested in Germany in 2011. This was in the 2008 Udayarpalayam idol theft case. He has been in jail since 2012. Contrary to what he said in 2017 in the Court, Manikavel sent a  letter to the government in 2019 recommended that Kapoor be prosecuted only in the 2008 Udayarpalayam case. After considering both the approaches, the court could only rely on the CBI to find out who went wrong and how to squeeze out the truth.

This is not an isolated incident. Hundreds of idol thefts and idol smuggling happening  in India. In July 2022, the 1200-year-old Nataraja idol was captured from a godown  in Chennai. This Chola period idol was planned to be taken by a woman who went to Germany 5 years ago. She failed to do so since she didn’t obtain the non-antiquity certificate from the Archaeological Survey of India. 14 idols were also seized from a gallery in Thanjavur in July.

A large network operating in India and abroad is behind this smuggling. The system has roots in every state. Temple employees may also be a part of this. Hazaribagh, Chhatra and Koderma districts in Jhaarkhand,idol  theft of ancient temples are a common phenomena.  Itkori  Bhadrakali temple in Chhatra which  is spread over hundred acres is one among them. Most of the idols here have been lost. In 1970, the main Bhadrakali itself was stolen. It was found in the house of Naulakha, a notorious idol smuggler in Kolkata.

All the tourist places in Uttar Pradesh are such commercial centers of invaluable idols. Ashta dhatu(8 metals)  idols are mostly sold there. A large amount of idol smuggling is also done through the 1750 km long porous Nepal border. A huge market for precious idols of India is set up in Nepal. A single idol of Buddha itself value more than 5 crores there.

 Idol thieves are punished under Sections 411 and 414 of the Indian Penal Code. It is punishable by three years and a fine only. The first thing that needs to change is this sentencing. Heavy punishment should be imposed for idol theft. India is just like the musk deer which doesn’t know the value of musk that it produces. The country has antiques worth lakhs of crores. It is also doubtful whether there are other countries that have achieved this kind of cultural richness. The government should be able to protect this wealth that still exists after the loot of many invaders including the British and smuggling by Indians and foreigners. The government should take measures to make accurate documentation of idols in small and big temples and viharas . It is better to position dummies in unsafe places and keeps the original idols in museums under high security. If not, the next generation will have to go to America, Germany and Switzerland to see the  invaluable idols.