Chennai : The Madras High Court on Monday pulled up the Tamil Nadu government for not cooperating with the Special Officer it had appointed to probe idol theft cases in the state.

Appointing Pon Manickavel as the Special Officer to probe the idol theft cases, the court gave him a one year period to investigate and submit the report.

However, Manickavel, has complained that the state government was not cooperating with the probe body and denied it facilities needed to carry out investigations.

Manickavel was appointed for another year on the day he retired through an order by a special division Bench of Justices R Mahadevan and PD Audikeasavlu. He and his team had been carrying out intense investigations into the idol theft cases and had even zeroed in on some big industrialists.

Manickavel was supposed to complete the probe and submit report in a sealed cover to the High Court.

But on Monday, the Madras High Court bench comprising R Mahalingam and Adikesavulu issued a notice to the government to reply as to what facilities it had given the probe panel.

The High Court sought these answers from the government advocate and conveyed its displeasure over the manner in which the government was reacting to the whole issue.

The court directed the government lawyer to give details of all the facilities given to the Manickavel probe body.