Chennai, Sep 17 (PTI) Seven bronze idols, found in the illegal possession of a dealer in Villupuram, were seized and an investigation is on to trace the temples from where they were allegedly stolen, Tamil Nadu Idol Wing CID said on Saturday.

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The shop owner could not establish the provenance of the idols, including those of Ardhanareshwar, Goddess Sivakami, Krishna and Buddha, nor could he furnish documents authorising him legal custody of the antique idols, the Idol Wing police claimed.

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"The Idol Wing has registered a case and is investigating how and who stole the idols," an official release here said.

The seized idols were produced before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kumbakonam, on Saturday.

The idols would be produced before the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for verification and a report will be sent to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department, managing the temples in the state.

A police team headed by DSP Kathiravan had raided the shop in Bommayapalayam Kannika Garden in Villupuram district on Friday, following a tip-off.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)