Chennai, Tamil Nadu

If everything had gone well, the seller would have been richer by Rs 25 crore or $3.2 million and the buyers would have been owners of a rare Lord Shiva idol, said to be 500 years old. That's where the twist in the tale lies. The buyers were undercover cops of the Tamil Nadu Police Idol Wing, whereas the sellers were art thieves. 

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Based on information regarding the sale of an antique Greenstone Shiva Lingam with a metal idol, Idol Wing CID DGP Dr Jayanth Murali, IPS, ordered his team to carry out a clandestine operation. They approached the sellers at Poonamalle near Chennai, posing as wealthy art collectors and even agreed upon the quoted price of Rs 25 crore. As the so-called sellers took out the idol from their secret closet, the cops nabbed the two accused and secured the idol.

"It is Eka Mukha linga with metal naagabaranam fixed permanently. At the bottom of the naagabaranam, it characteristically has the five faces of Lord Shiva portraying the attributes like damaru, soolam, snake etc. And at the backside of the snake hoods, the garudalvar is represented in a flying position," read the observations about the idol.

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According to experts, this idol is said to be over 500 years old and could possibly belong to Nepal. The police said that the provenance of the idol is under investigation and that more details would emerge when the remaining two accused are nabbed.

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