Man arrested with Buddha idol worth Rs.3 crore
By IANSFriday, July 16, 2010
LUCKNOW - A man who worked for an inter-state gang involved in smuggling antique idols was arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Chandauli district along with an ‘ashtadhatu’ (eight-metal) Lord Buddha idol worth Rs.3 crore, the police said Friday.
Lallan Yadav was arrested late Thursday from the Alinagar area, some 300 km from Lucknow, while his aide managed to escape. Police are yet to ascertain from where the idol was stolen.
“He (Yadav) worked for a Bihar-based racket involved in smuggling antique idols. He was waiting for some clients in order to sell the idol when our team arrested him,” police Inspector S.K. Verma told reporters in Chandauli.
“Preliminary investigations reveal that, besides Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, Lallan had clients in various states, including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Uttarakhand,” he added.
