An ancient idol, believed to be over 500 years old, was recovered from the Bay of Bengal after it became entangled in the fishing net of a mechanised boat operated by fishermen from Karaikal.

According to our correspondent, 16 fishermen from Karaikal had set out from the Fishing Harbour on July 2 for a fishing expedition. While fishing off the Mahabalipuram coast around midnight yesterday, they noticed a heavy object caught in their net. On retrieving it, they found it to be an ancient idol.

The fishermen returned to Karaikal today and handed over the idol to Karaikal Deputy Collector Pooja for safe custody. Preliminary enquiries suggest that the idol may be more than 500 years old and could have originated from Tamil Nadu.

Police have launched an investigation to determine how the idol ended up in the sea. Investigators are examining the possibility that it may have fallen into the water while being smuggled to Sri Lanka or was thrown into the sea by smugglers to avoid detection.