A day after an antique idol from a historic temple in Kullu was recovered, Himachal Pradesh on Saturday sought the extradition of the Nepalese prime suspect in the theft. Accused Nar Prashad Jaisi broke into the lord Raghunath temple in Sultanpur Dec 9 last year and took away the idols including that of lord Raghunath, dedicated to lord Rama. Jaisi has been detained by the police in Nepal, State Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjay Kumar told media persons.
He said acting on his revelations, the State Police on Friday recovered all the stolen idols from a place close to Bajaura on the border of Kullu and Mandi districts. Besides the idol of lord Raghunath, the idol of Hanuman, a stone statue of Narsingh Shila (covered with gold), one silver Ganesh idol, a pair of Charan Paduka and ornaments were stolen from the temple.
Idols of lord Raghunath and Hanuman are made of 'ashtadhatu' (a composite of eight metals). The DGP said the State police was seeking the extradition of the accused. "Though India and Nepal has no such treaty, we are trying to bring him back to the country as the case is linked to religious beliefs," he added. During the investigation, the police said it was revealed that the main suspect is a Nepalese national who was working in Kullu town at that time. He conducted a reconnaissance of the temple for four days before committing the crime. With the help of the special Nepal Police his identity was established and his movements tracked near Kohlapur in Banke district of Nepal, a statement by the DGP said.
The accused, who was identified with the help of CCTV footage and tracking of his mobile phone, was detained January 22 in Nepal. On ,interrogation he revealed the places where he buried the stolen artefacts. A reward of Rs10 lakh was announced by the Himachal Pradesh Police for providing clues about the robbers. Interpol was also put on high alert after the theft.