Moodbidri : It has been a year since the antique idols worth several crores of rupees were stolen from the Siddantha Mandir in Moodbidri on July 5 last year.
Though all the stolen idols have been traced, the idols have not yet reached the Siddantha Mandir. Even the promise of the leaders to have a police outpost at Jainapete has not been fulfilled. The plans to have a full-fledged Siddantha Mandir has also taken the back burner. The Siddantha Mandir continues to remain locked.
On the other hand the police have arrested all accused in the case and the prime accused Santosh Das alias Ghanashyam Das is still behind bars while others are out on bail.
The theft occurred on the night of July 5 last year wherein the 15 antique idols made of gold, diamond and other valuable stones were stolen, had made news at the international level. The burglary had also triggered protests from Jains in the nation and across the world. Some Jain Munis even went on a stir.
The then Mangalore Police Commissioner who took the case as a challenge, had arrested Santosh Das from Bhuvaneshwar and managed to seize some of the stolen idols. His father-in-law Digambardas Mohanty, wife, Deeptimayi were also arrested for abetting the crime. Later renowned jeweller of Chattisgarh Rajaji Sancheti was also arrested but the idols remained untraced, thanks to the high influence exerted by the thief as well as the influential purchasers.
When the state government succumbing to mounting pressure planned a CBI probe, all the idols arrived in the Mangalore Police Commissioner’s office via courier on November 5.
Since the burglary, the Siddantha Darshana Mandir is locked and all the remaining idols are in bank safe locker. The plans to develop the Mandir into a modern structure has not been materialised. The Jain community has two options – to either strengthen the security system at the Mandir or construct a separate mandir nearby.
The then Union Minister M Veerappa Moily had even interacted with the Jain Mutt seer when there arose the demand for a police outpost in Jainapete and Moily had responded positively, The Mutt had even assured land for the same but the project never materialised.
The police have filed the chargesheet in the case in Moodbidri court. The investigation officers have also requested the State Archaeology Department to estimate the value of the idols, but the department has turned down the demand. In the meantime, entrepreneur Keerthivarma Jain has moved the court seeking possession of the idols which he claims belongs to him.
Investigations are underway. In the meantime, with Siddantha Mandir closed, the number of tourists arriving from different parts of the nation has declined, Even the revenue of the Mutt has declined as in the past fee used to be collected from devotees visiting the Mandir.
