Delhi Police seize antique statue

New Delhi, May 10 (ANI): Delhi Police have arrested two persons and seized a 600-year-old idol of Lord Nataraj, estimated to be around 50 million rupees.

The duo was arrested on Sunday, while trying to sell the statue.

"Yesterday afternoon near Vikas Sadan some of our members disguised as buyers interacted with the dealers and then they showed us the antique statue. The police seized the idol as soon as the accused brought it," said Hargovinder Singh Dhaliwal, Deputy Commissioner of Police, South Delhi.

"The statue was then sent for examination to the Archaeological Survey of India, where the experts revealed that it is a 600-year-old antique and is worth 50 million rupees," he added.

The idol was recovered when the accused, Bhuwan Chand Joshi, a resident of Gurgaon, and Pradeep, a 27-year-old from Haryana's Jhajhar District, were moving around in a car to dispose off the idol.

"Under Section 14, 17 and 25 of the Antiquities and Art Treasurers Act 1972 a case has been registered. Out of the two accused, it was Pradeep who possessed the idol. He said that this idol was kept in an area at his native place since a long time. People believed that the idol possessed some religious powers. So he stole it from there," said Dhaliwal.

The 19-inch statue weighs 15.5 kilograms and is made of an alloy of eight metals, called 'Ashtadhatu'. (ANI)