Kanchi idol row: Chief sculptor gets anticipatory bail

Chennai: The

chief sthapathi

(temple sculptor) of Tamil Nadu government,

M Muthiah

, was granted conditional anticipatory bail by the Madras high court in the case registered against him and eight others on charges of siphoning off 5.75kg gold from

Ekambaranathar temple

in

Kancheepuram

. According to the idol wing police, the accused had not accounted for the entire sum of gold collected from the public and through donations for the Lord Somaskandar idol at the temple.

Muthaiah approached the Madras high court seeking anticipatory bail apprehending arrest by the idol wing CID police, headed by inspector-general of police AG Ponmanickavel.

On Thursday, Justice R Mahadevan granted conditional anticipatory bail to Muthaiah and directed him to surrender before the judicial magistrate-I at Kancheepuram within a week. He must execute a personal bond for Rs 50, 000 besides two sureties, each for the same sum to the satisfaction the magistrate. Muthiah must also surrender his passport, said

Justice Mahadevan

.

He was directed to appear before the idol wing chief Ponmanickavel twice a week for three weeks.

In his petition, Muthiah said he had no role in the alleged gold theft and that the CID police had not produced any material evidence against him to prove the same.

During arguments, Justice Mahadevan asked the prosecution why they opposed Muthiah’s anticipatory bail application when there was no incriminating evidence against him.

To this, the prosecutor submitted that the CID police was confident of gathering evidence to prove Muthaiah’s involvement of Muthiah and that the statements obtained by the police under Section 161 of CrPC had enough evidence to prove prima facie case against Muthiah.