400-year-old stolen idol recovered from Nepal

Itanagar, Apr 27 (UNI) A Lumla-based police sub-inspector recovered a 400-year-old idol of Guru Padma Sambhava from Kathmandu on April 24 stumbling upon a gang of idol smugglrs linked to the Nepal capital and France.

The idol, made up of gold, brass and copper, was stolen by thieves from a house at Kharteng village under Lumla police station in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh between December 12 and January 3 last.

The owner of the house had registered an FIR with the police on January 6 last.

Lumla Police station officer in-charge sub-inspector A Mondal had registered a case and pinned down Gechan and Kee alias Kelsang, the main accused belonging to the same village, according to police.

On the disclosure by Kee that he had sold the high value idol to one Nima Tsering at Siliguri for Rs.1.5 lakh, Mr Mondal led a police team with Kee to Siliguri. When contacted over telephone, Tsering admitted about purchasing the idol and assured to return the same at Kathmandu with the plea not to make it public.

Mr Mondal accompanied Tsering to Kathmandu where the latter, on being handed over to Darbar Marg PS at Kathmandu, confessed that after buying the idol from Kee he had finalized a deal for 3.5 lakh dollars and handed it over to one Crist of France.

Kathmandu Police had asked Mr Mandal to collect the idol after its recovery. On his arrival at Darbar Marg PS on April 1 last, he was shocked to learn that the officer in-charge recovered the idol but was suspended for accepting a bribe of Rs two lakh from Tsering.

However, the idol was in the safe custody of superintendent of police Hanuman Dhoka. The SP has directed Mr Mondal to contact the Indian Embassy at Nepal to receive the stolen idol.

UNI