Chennai, Nov 25 (IANS): The Idol Wing of Tamil Nadu Police has launched a probe into four ancient statues and a Thanjavur painting seized earlier this week from the Mouni Baba Mutt in Kumbakonam.
The items were seized after the police conducted a raid at the mutt on a complaint from Hindu Munnani activists that the mutt was storing ancient antiquities.
The seized items did not have any documents.
Sources in the Idol Wing told IANS that they have called upon the services of the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) to ascertain the age of the idols as well as the painting.
The painting is 144cm in height and 115 cm in width and the four bronze idols are of Lord Nataraja, Sivakami Amman, Balathandayudhapani and Lord Vinayaka.
The Idol Wing has given information to all the police stations in the state on complaints registered about missing idols.