CHENNAI: A priceless emerald idol of Lord Murugan was stolen from a hill-top temple near Madurantakam, about 60km south of Chennai, by thieves who breached a three-layer security system, disabled the alarm and sprayed paint over CCTV cameras on Tuesday night.The theft took place at Sri Maragatha Bala Dhandayuthapani Murugan Temple at Perungkaranai village, popularly known among devotees as ‘Nadu Palani’. The presiding deity, a 2.25-ft-tall idol carved entirely out of emerald, was brought from Mysuru and installed at the temple in 2008.Given the value of the idol, police said access to the sanctum was protected by three heavy security doors and iron shutters, besides an alarm system designed to go off in the event of an intrusion. CCTV cameras had also been installed at strategic points around the temple.Police suspect the gang had thorough knowledge of the temple and its security arrangements, possibly gathered during recces posing as devotees. Investigators said the burglars had climbed a huge statue behind the temple to reach a rear entrance and then made their way towards the sanctum.The thieves managed to breach the three secured entrances made of iron and reach the sanctum. They cut the connections to the security alarm, preventing it from going off, before removing the idol from its pedestal, police said.They sprayed paint over CCTV cameras to prevent their movements and identities from being recorded before escaping with the idol around 1.30am. Police said the manner in which the security systems were neutralised indicated that the burglars could have had prior knowledge of the arrangements at the temple.The temple had only one night security guard, and he would go on rounds on the ground floor, police said. The theft came to light on Wednesday morning when priests and temple administrators arrived and found the idol missing. They immediately alerted the Chithamur police.Senior police officers inspected the temple, while forensic experts collected fingerprints and other evidence from the sanctum and surrounding areas. A sniffer dog was also pressed into service.A senior police officer said they had formed two special teams to trace the thieves and recover the idol and also to probe the role of insiders in the theft. Police were examining CCTV camera footage from roads and other locations leading to and from the hill temple to identify suspicious vehicles and movements during the night. During preliminary inquiries, police found that the temple priests had failed to switch on the burglar alarm the previous night.Police are probing whether an inter-state gang was involved or whether the theft was carried out by an organised idol-smuggling network.The temple draws large crowds during Panguni Uthiram, Sashti and Thaipoosam, with devotees offering kavadi and tonsuring their heads in fulfilment of vows.
