29 idols, other items fished out of Brahmaputra near Uzan Bazar

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: As many as 41 temple items, including silver and bronze idols of gods and goddesses, were fished out of the Brahmaputra from near the Uzan Bazar-Umananda Parghat site here on Saturday. This incident bears testimony to the enormity of temple theft in the State.

This recovery is more by accident than by design. Sanu Ali — an employee of Hotel Trishul located near the Parghat – was bathing in the river when his legs hit some hard objects under the water. He took a dip and came out with an idol of Lord Shiva. Smelling a rat, he immediately informed the Latasil Police Station which sent a few personnel to the site. They engaged Shamsul Ali and Chan Mohammed to conduct a search along with Sanu Ali. The trio fished out a number of idols, besides other temple items including tridents (trishuls), plaques with Devanagiri scripts, a number of pedestals, and conches. Following the recovery of these precious religious items, the SDRF (State Disaster Response Force) swung into action, and their personnel also recovered some more idols. Altogether 41 items of various types including 29 idols have been recovered.

Hearing the news, Nirendra Kumar Seal — a resident from Chandan Nagar of the Beltola area in the city — rushed to the spot and claimed an idol as his. He told the police that some thieves had burgled off with the idols from his family temple on the night of October 18. A case had been registered in the Dispur Police Station to that effect.

All the recovered items are now in the custody of the Latasil Police Station.

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