CHENNAI, INDIA, September 13, 2026 (New Indian Express): Nearly two weeks after an emerald statue measuring two-and-a-half feet in height of Balamurugan Dhandayuthapani Swamy was reported stolen from the Nadu Palani temple near Madurantakam in Chengalpattu district, the police recovered it from an abandoned quarry nearby on Sunday and detained three men in connection with the incident. A police official told TNIE that the burglars had buried the statue at the abandoned quarry about .62 miles from the temple after stealing it. On Sunday morning, the police noticed suspicious activity near the quarry and found the three men there. They were detained and questioned, following which the statue was recovered, the official said.

The hilltop Sri Maragatha Bala Dhandayuthapani Murugan Temple at Perungaranai, popularly known as Nadu Palani, is managed by a private trust. The sanctum is protected by three iron doors and the temple is equipped with security alarms and CCTV cameras. On the night of September 1, the burglars allegedly disabled the alarm system and tampered with the CCTV cameras before breaking into the sanctum to steal the emerald statue along with silver articles. The theft was discovered the following morning. While the police said the current value of the statue is yet to be ascertained, an earlier department statement had stated that it was installed in 2008 through the Mysuru-based Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji Trust and that it was then valued at around US$3,126.

https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2026/Sep/14/emerald-murugan-idol-stolen-from-nadu-palani-temple-found-in-quarry-three-detained

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