Chola-era bronze idol returns to India from Bangkok after being stolen from Tamil Nadu
The idol was stolen several years ago from Tamil Nadu by Subhash Kapoor and has been recovered from Bangkok.
A bronze idol of Kaliya Narthana Krishna (Lord Krishna dancing on Kaliya Naag) dating back to the Chola-era has been brought back to India from Bangkok.
The antique idol was stolen by Subhash Kapoor which was sold to Douglas Latchford and then it travelled from New York City to Bangkok. It was brought back to India by Idol Wing CID (IW-CID) of Tamil Nadu Police. The bronze idol was handed over to the High Commission of India in Bangkok by the Fine Arts Department of Thailand.
The Indian embassy in Thailand played a crucial role in recovering the idol, valued at approximately $3.5 million. The idol was traced through online articles featuring images of the idol.
An article titled ‘Hold On to Your Hat’ by antiquities dealer Douglas Latchford mentioned the collection of a Kaliya Narthana Krishna metal idol, The Hindu reported.
Although the article was published in 2019, Latchford passed away in 2020. Following his death, his daughter handed over the Dancing Krishna idol to Thailand, fearing an enquiry by Indian and U.S. authorities.
The idol is suspected to have been stolen from a temple in Tamil Nadu by Subhash Kapoor before 2005 and was sold for approximately $650,000, according to documents.
S. Vijaya Kumar, co-founder of the India Pride Project, acknowledged the Manhattan District Attorney and Homeland Security for their active efforts in securing the return of the idol from Latchford’s daughter.
The Director General of Police (DGP) of the Idol Wing CID, Shailesh Kumar Yadav, is planning to investigate thoroughly and take legal action against those responsible for stealing the idol.
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