One arrested for smuggling two antique idols in capital

NEW DELHI: In yet another incident of idol smuggling in the Capital, the Delhi police on Tuesday arrested one person and recovered two 12th century idols of Lord Mahavir from his possession.

The police have asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) for details on the origin of the two idols. This is the fourth such incident of idol smuggling in the capital. The police have recovered six ancient statues till now.

According to the Archaeological Survey of India, the idols are worth crores of rupees in the international market. “We’ve asked the CBI and NCRB to find the place of origin of these statues,” said Muktesh Chander, additional commissioner (crime branch).

The police said Omkarnath Saxena, a garment trader from Kolkata, had joined the idol trafficking trade five months ago after he came in contact with one Santu during his routine tour to Delhi. Santu is absonding. They said Saxena had passed out from Aligarh Muslim University but later drifted to illegal means of earning money.

“He has a masters degree,”said Chander, adding that Saxena was offered 25 per cent of the money received after selling the idols to international buyers.

“Since he is a businessman, Santu had asked him to use his contacts to sell the two idols,” said Chander. He added that the police are  on the look out for Santu.