Nepali national held with Rs.10-crore antique idol

BALRAMPUR - A Nepali national was arrested Thursday in Uttar Pradesh’s Balrampur district with an ‘ashtadhatu’ (eight-metal compound) idol worth Rs.10 crore in the international market, police said Thursday.

The 30-year-old was nabbed with the 10-kg Buddha idol from a hotel, while two of his aides managed to escape, police said.

“The man was nabbed during a joint operation of the Special Operations Group (SOG) and the district police,” Superintendent of Police J.R. Gaur told reporters here.

“The man has provided vital clues about other members of his gang in various districts of Uttar Pradesh,”‘ he added.

According to police, the idol is nearly 200 years old.