{
  "id": 5253910,
  "title": "'Priceless' Lord Murugan idol stolen from TN temple",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/priceless-lord-murugan-idol-stolen-from-tn-temple",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-03T04:51:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Economic Times",
    "slug": "the-economic-times",
    "url": "https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/new-updates/emerald-lord-murugan-idol-stolen-from-a-tamil-nadu-temple-by-thieves-who-went-undetected-through-cctvs-and-alarms-gang-may-have-come-earlier-as-devotees-to-the-hill-top-shrine/articleshow/133725263.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a daring theft from a hill-top temple near Madurantakam in Tamil Nadu, a priceless emerald idol of Lord Murugan was stolen by thieves who infiltrated the temple's three-layer security system on Tuesday night. The idol, a 2.25-foot-tall sculpture carved entirely out of emerald, was brought from Mysuru and installed at the Sri Maragatha Bala Dhandayuthapani Murugan Temple in Perungkaranai village, or Nadu Palani, in 2008. The temple’s security included three heavy security doors, iron shutters, an alarm system, and CCTV cameras. The thieves, however, managed to breach the security by climbing a large statue, cutting the alarm lines, and removing the idol from its pedestal. They also covered the CCTV cameras with paint to avoid being identified. The theft occurred at around 1:30am, and the temple only had one night security guard, who would typically patrol the ground floor. The security lapse and the unique manner of the theft led investigators to suspect the possibility of prior knowledge of the temple's layout and security arrangements, potentially acquired through undercover surveillance posing as devotees. Police have formed special teams to trace the thieves and recover the idol, while also examining CCTV footage to identify suspicious vehicles or movements. The case is being investigated to determine whether it was the work of an inter-state gang or an organized idol-smuggling network.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}