Idol Wing special officer in TN moves HC seeking extension of

: The court-appointed special officer of the Idol Wing CID in Tamil Nadu Pon Manickavel has moved the Madras High Court seeking extension of tenure.

With his one-year tenure set to end on November 30, the former IPS officer on Thursday sought extension on the ground that the state government intentionally 'sabotaged' his functioning.

"The government has been inter-meddling with the functioning of the special investigation team through the former DGP TK Rajendran and ADGP Abhay Kumar Singh. The special investigation team was virtually prevented from performing the work assigned to it within the period mentioned in the court order," Manickavel alleged.

He made the averments through a sub-application to his contempt plea moved against the then chief secretary Girija Vaidyanathan and former DGP TK Rajendran seeking action for wilful disobedience of court order.

"I started the work assigned to me by the court with much hope and enthusiasm, believing that the state government would allow me to function independently to bring offenders to justice," Manickavel said in the plea.

"It is just and necessary that those who are involved in sabotaging the functioning of the special investigation team should be punished and the team should be permitted to continue the work ordered by the court," he added.

He further said a reading of the high court order dated November 30, 2018 and the Supreme Court order confirming the high court order would show that till the investigation of the cases covered by the orders are completed the special investigation team had to exist.

"The state government could never reconcile to the fact that I was ordered to head a special investigation team to probe idol theft cases. I faced several impediments in this regard," he added.

Manickavel was appointed as a special officer to head the Idol Wing CID and probe idol theft cases in the state for a year through a November 30, 2018 court order. This was also confirmed by the Supreme Court.

Manickavel is credited with cracking several cases and recovering various ancient idols worth crores of rupees during his stint with the Idol Wing of Tamil Nadu Police.

He had in July this year filed a contempt case in the High Court against higher officials of the state government for alleged disobedience of its orders.

Opposing the contempt plea, the Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday alleged Manickavel was the highest contemnor of the orders of the high court and the Supreme Court.

It contended that he had not been attending review meetings convened by the ADGP of the Idol wing.