Six including Nepal nationals arrested for stealing artifacts

Gangtok, Mar 23 (UNI) Six persons, including a woman and three Nepal nationals, have been arrested for trying to smuggle artifacts and manuscripts and thangkas (traditional and religious wall hangings) from a monastery in West Sikkim after stealing them.

The incident occurred in Sunin Gumpa(monastery) in west Sikkim on March 20 when they were trying to sneak out with the items from Sunin Gumpa in west Sikkim 15 kilometres above Tashiding but the West district police managed to nab them after an alert was sounded.

According to Superintendant of police (West) B B Rai, the six have been arrested and remanded in police custody. They are presently remanded in the Gyalshing police station in the west district headquarter.

The thieves have been arrested for stealing 21 pechas (religious old manuscripts), 6 thankas (wall hangings), 2 conch shells, 1 holy vessel, a butter lamp, cymbals, drum, gyaling (trumpets) and radong (long bass trumpets) and a religious hat used by monks from the monastery.

They were probably trying to take these items to Nepal. However, Sunin Gumpa management committee president Dawa Tshering Lepcha informed the police leading to the arrest. They have been arrested under section 380 (read with sec 34 of the IPC) and also under sec 18 of the Foreigner's Act.

Police have recovered the stolen items from their possession.

UNI BG ADG AKJ BST2017