Tue Jun 17 19:47:00 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary and news article based on the provided text:
**Summary:**
In 2009, three men broke into the Pavalaotheeswarar Temple in Thiruthuraipoondi and stole a Maragatha Lingam and two golden ornaments. The men broke in the windows and doors in the middle of the night. Some of the culprits were apprehended after a vehicle check, but several others have passed away or are still missing. The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Egmore has finally convicted the remaining three men and sentenced them to three years in prison.
**News Article:**
**Temple Idol Thieves Sentenced to Three Years Imprisonment in Decade-Old Case**
**CHENNAI, June 18, 2025** – The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Egmore has delivered a verdict in a long-standing case involving the theft of valuable idols from the Pavalaotheeswarar Temple in Thiruthuraipoondi. Three men, identified as Vaith alias Vaithiyalingam, Melinsagayaraj, and Raja alias Patchi Raja, were convicted and sentenced to three years in prison for their role in the 2009 temple break-in.
According to the Idol Wing CID Police, the trio, along with several others, broke into the temple on the night of February 19, 2009, and stole a Maragatha Lingam and two golden ornaments, collectively valued at Rs 2.06 lakh. The thieves gained entry by breaking open the iron rods of a window and the main door of the sanctum sanctorum.
While some of the accused were apprehended shortly after the crime during a vehicle check at the Koyambedu bus stand in October 2009, others died or absconded. The trial proceeded against the remaining three defendants, culminating in today’s sentencing. The men will serve a three-year prison term and will additionally need to pay a fine. The Idol Wing Police is continuing the search for the remaining four.
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