Mangalore, Nov 6: “The twelve idols stolen from Siddhanth Mandir of Jain Basadi, Moodbidri were sent through speed post to the Commissionerate office from Raipur in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, November 5.
Addressing a press meet here on Wednesday November 6, police commissioner Manish Karbikar said that the idols are tiny and weighed 750 grams.
The idols were sent by Speed Post on November 2 and reached the police commissionerate office on Tuesday November 4, he said.
He further said that apart from the idols silver peetha crystal and pieces sapphire have been sent. Bhattaraka Charukeerthi Swamiji, seer, Moodbidri Jain Basadi has confirmed that the idols are the original ones. Among the 12 idols in the parcel, one was broken, he said.
Incidentally, the total numbers of idols recovered in the case are now more than the number mentioned in the FIR. The FIR had mentioned that 15 idols had been stolen from the Basadi, but now recovered idols number 20. The police had previously recovered eight idols, five of which were in melted gold form weighing 1.22 kg, and Rs 2.05 lac in cash from the house of the father-in-law of Santosh alias Ghanshyam Das in Orissa, Karbikar said.
“The recovered idols include Diamond studded Chandraprabha Swami, Gajamuthu, Crystal Siddha Paramesti Idol, Crystal Munisuvratha Swami,Emerald Arahantha Paramesti, Sapphire Munisuvratha Swami, Sapphire Arahanta, Crystal Aranatha Pareamesthi, Emerald Pashwanatha, Sapphire Mallinatha and Crystal Siddha Parameshti. Of all the idols Crystal Siddha Parameshti was broken while others were intact,”Karbikar informed.
Bhattaraka Shree of Moodbidri Jain Math on Tuesday November 5 inspected the idols and confirmed that they belonged to Siddantha Mandir.