Antique idol returned due to PM Modi's efforts: TN govt

It was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts that a stolen antique idol could be brought from Australia and not because of special police officer Pon Manickavel, the Tamil Nadu government informed the Madras High Court on Tuesday.

The issue pertains to a contempt plea moved by Manickavel seeking action against then chief secretary Girija Vaidyanathan and former DGP T K Rajendran for wilful disobedience of a court order in idol theft cases.

Additional Advocate General Balaji Srinivasan, who is appearing in the Supreme Court on behalf of the state, said, "When the prime minister visited Australia in connection with talks for uranium purchase a request was made to the Australian government to return such stolen Indian antique idols..."

"Only because of such a request an antique Natarajar idol was returned by Australia in September but Manickavel misrepresented to the media claiming that it was returned due to his efforts," he argued before the bench.

When the plea came up, Srinivasan, representing the police's idol wing and the state, submitted that the contempt petition was not maintainable as the apex court is the appropriate forum to address the grievance.

The state has moved the Supreme Court seeking direction to the special officer to return all the case files to the government as his tenure is nearing expiry and the case likely to be taken up by November 18, he said.

Recording the submissions, the bench posted the plea to November 20 for further hearing.