Burglars Steal Crores-Worth Emerald Murugan Idol from Madhuranthagam Temple

An emerald idol of Lord Muruga worth several crores of rupees was stolen from a temple at Perunkarunai village near Madhuranthagam in Chengalpet district on Tuesday night. The 2.25-foot-high idol, fully crafted from emerald, was taken after burglars broke through reinforced doors and neutralized the temple's security infrastructure.

The deity, worshipped as Sri Maragatha Bala Dhandayudhapani Murugan, held major spiritual significance in the area. Devotees regularly visited the shrine in large numbers during festival occasions including Panguni Uthiram, Sashti Viradham, and Thaipoosam, frequently shaving their heads and carrying kavadis in fulfilment of their prayers.

Because the emerald idol was considered worth several crores of rupees, the temple administration had established strong security arrangements. Three protective doors had been installed one behind the other to guard the sanctum. An automated siren was set up to sound if intruders crossed the doors, and CCTV cameras were placed to keep the area under surveillance.

Despite the protections, the burglars forced their way inside on Tuesday night by breaking through all three doors. Before making away with the idol, they cut off the connections to the siren system and sprayed colour paint over the CCTV cameras to block surveillance footage.

The theft was uncovered when temple priests arrived to perform duties and discovered the broken doors and the empty sanctum. Following an alert from temple authorities, personnel from the Sithamur police station rushed to the scene to conduct an inquiry.

Forensic experts examined the premises to gather physical evidence and lift fingerprints, while sniffer dogs were deployed to trace the trail left by the suspects. Police have formed two special teams to investigate the break-in and track down the culprits.