Sets 15-day deadline; search carried out in farmhouse

Inspector General of Police of the Idol Wing, A.G. Ponn Manickavel, on Tuesday asked all those in possession of antiquities and artefacts without proper documentation to hand them over to the police or face legal action. He has set a 15-day deadline for the purpose.

Mr. Manickavel, who conducted a search at a farmhouse owned by Chennai-based businessman Ranvir Shah in Mohalwadi village near Madurantakam, said 84 stone pillars and idols were recovered from the property.

Addressing journalists, Mr. Manickavel said anyone hoarding artefacts or possessing them without proper documentation must voluntarily hand them over to the police within 15 days.

The team also searched another farm house near Padappai linked to Mr. Shah and recovered a few dozen stone artefacts from there.

Plans for a museum

Meanwhile, in a statement, Mr. Shah referred to the ongoing searches at his properties since September 27 and said that in the spirit of transparency, he had himself informed Mr. Manickavel about various statues and objects in his possession at different places.

Noting that he had been collecting statues and other objects from a young age and that some of them were passed on to him by his father, Mr. Shah said he originally intended to set up a private museum.

However, following a raid by the Idol Wing police at his house in 2016, he deferred the plans and took steps to get his collections properly registered.

He said his father had not conducted “due diligence” with respect to certain purchases, owing to ill-health.

‘Had applied to register’

“Pursuant to the 2016 raid, I immediately applied to the Archaeological Survey of India, Ministry of Culture, for registration in furtherance of the Idol Wing’s instructions. Every item in the collection that was passed down to me by my late father and purchased by me was done for valid consideration at existing market value. All the items were purchased from licensed antiquities dealers in good faith,” Mr. Shah said.

“To my knowledge, none of the items that forms a part of my collection is stolen, as I have proceeded under the implied warranty of these licensed antiquities dealers that they possessed full and valid title to the said items,” the businessman further added.

Mr. Shah said that if the court eventually held that certain items were indeed stolen, he would be willing to assist in their restoration to the rightful owners and temples.