The Tamil Nadu Aranilayathurai Anaithu Sangankalin Koottamaippu, representing all employees’ associations of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, has countered the recent claim of the Idol Wing CID that HR&CE staff were involved in smuggling the Sembiyan Mahadevi idol.

The idol of the Chola dynasty queen was allegedly stolen from the Kailasanathaswamy Temple in Nagapattinam district. It is now in the Freer Art Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Federation Secretary B. Bharathi said the idol was purchased by the gallery in 1929. “It is clear that the idol was moved out of the country much before Independence,” Mr. Bharathi said.