Police arrest two for bid to sell ancient artefacts online

Mysore: Mysore police have arrested a textile shop owner and his friend on charges of stealing valuable artefacts from temple and a library.

The textile trader who was unable to pay the rent of his shop owing to Covid, hatched a plan along with his friend to steal artefacts. He stole 10 artefacts from Ramamandira in Chandagal village in K R Nagar taluk. The accused put up artefacts on online auction through a website.

The accused claimed that the artefacts were found while levelling his house. When each artefact was bidden for Rs 4.5 lakh, an informer alerted the police.

The police under the guise of buyers, contacted the accused and apprehended them. Southern range IGP Praveen Madhukar Pawar handed over the artefacts to the temple authorities and library staff on Tuesday. The temple staff said that these works were presented by the Maharaja of Mysuru to Ramamandira more than a hundred years ago.

Police have not revealed the names and other details of the accused as the case is under investigation.