Ex-HR&CE official seeks advance bail in idol case

Former commissioner of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment P Dhanapal today moved the Madras High Court seeking anticipatory bail in the temple idol-casting case.

The bail application was filed before the Madurai bench of the high court.

Dhanapal has been arraigned as an accused in the case filed by the Idol wing of Tamil Nadu police for alleged misappropriation of gold collected by way of donation for making the processional idol of the famous Lord Dhandayuthapaniswamy temple at nearby Palani in 2004.

Police have so far arrested four persons, including two officials of the HR and CE, which administers a large number of temples in Tamil Nadu, and a sculptor, in connection with the case.

The petitioner contended that the case had been filed 14 years after the idol was made.

Petitioner said the idol was cast using 10 kgs of gold. But, experts from IIT-Madras have said 22 kgs of gold had been used. Only excess gold had been used, so where was the question of deficiency. There was no offence, he claimed.

According to the FIR, an estimated 200 kgs of gold had been collected for the idol but only a small quantity was used and the remaining had been misappropriated.

Denying the allegation, Dhanpal said the experts from the IIT were not competent enough to give a certificate.