Tamil Nadu: Madras High Court stays case before Kancheepuram court on Panchaloha idols gold ‘theft’

The Madras High Court has stayed all further proceedings in a case pending against a former Commissioner of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department and eight others for having allegedly collected hundreds of sovereigns of gold from devotees of the Ekambaranathar Temple in Kancheepuram for making two Panchaloha (an alloy of five metals) idols, but not using even a drop of the precious metal in their making.

Justice M. Nirmal Kumar granted the interim stay following a petition filed by sculptor Muthiah Stapathy to quash the chargesheet filed against him. On finding that the former HR&CE Commissioner M. Veera Shanmuga Moni, who was an IAS officer had also filed a similar quash petition, the judge directed the High Court Registry to club both those pleas together and list them for hearing on April 17, 2026.