Chennai sources reported that the Tamilnadu government has challenged the Madras High Court order appointing Inspector General of Police Pon Manickavel as Special Officer of the Idol Wing on the day of his superannuation on Nov. 30. As per report the state government has opposed the court quashing the government order (GO), which transferred all cases of the Idol Wing Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Meanwhile in a Special Leave Petition filed before the apex court on Tuesday, the government vehemently opposed the extension granted to Mr. Manickavel. Reportedly in his role as chief of the Idol Wing for six years, the IG had made some high profile arrests of idol smugglers such as Subash Kapoor and Deenadayalan besides recovered hundreds of idols.
Moreover in most cases, the temple authorities could not identify the idols that were stolen from their temples. Further the department was left rattled after Mr. Manickavel arrested HR & CE’s Chief Sthapathi M. Muthiah and also Additional Commissioner (Thiruppani) M. Kavitha.
