Itanagar: A tourist from West Bengal was detained in Arunachal Pradesh for allegedly stealing religious artefacts from two well-known sites in Tawang, including the famous Tawang Monastery, officials said on Thursday.
According to Tawang Deputy Superintendent of Police Kato Tasso, the 54-year-old visitor was identified and apprehended after CCTV footage capturing the alleged theft circulated widely on social media.
Police said a Buddha idol was stolen from the Tawang Monastery, which is the largest monastery in India. Besides, a pair of Tingsha cymbals and two metal butter lamps were also stolen from the Giant Buddha Statue Park, he said.
“The CCTV visuals showed the tourist picking up the Buddha idol and other sacred objects from the premises, after which police initiated an investigation,” the officer said.
A police team located the suspect on Wednesday morning and recovered the missing items from his possession. The articles, estimated to be worth between Rs 15,000 and Rs 20,000, were returned, Tasso added.
Despite the incident, no formal case was registered as the administration of the Buddha Park Gompa chose not to pursue legal action after the recovery of the items. The caretaker monk and the management forgave the tourist after he assured them that he would not repeat such behaviour.
Police also obtained a written undertaking from the man in which he admitted his mistake and pledged to refrain from similar acts in the future.
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He was cautioned about possible legal consequences and advised to respect the religious sentiments associated with sacred sites, the officer said.
The tourist reportedly arrived in Tawang with his wife on March 2 for a holiday.
