Bengal tourist apprehended for stealing sacred items in Tawang

Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Police have apprehended a tourist for allegedly stealing religious items from various locations at Tawang, an official said.Tawang deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Kato Tasso on Thursday said the 54-year-old tourist hailing from West Bengal was apprehended for allegedly stealing a Buddha idol, after CCTV footage of the incident was circulated widely on social media, prompting authorities to launch an investigation.The tourist, along with his wife, had arrived in Tawang on March 2 for vacation and sightseeing.The Buddha idol was stolen from Tawang Monastery while a pair of Tingsha cymbals and two metal butter lamps were stolen from the Giant Buddha Statue Park here, police said.“A police team traced the accused on Wednesday morning and recovered all stolen items worth between Rs 15,000 and Rs 20,000 from his possession,” the DSP said.No case has been registered as the Buddha Park Gompa administration decided not to pursue the matter further after the recovery of the items, Tasso said. The caretaker monk and the management pardoned the tourist after he assured them that such an act would not be repeated, Tasso said.As a precautionary measure, police obtained a written undertaking from the tourist admitting his mistake and promising not to engage in similar acts. He was warned of legal consequences and advised to respect religious sentiments at sacred sites, Tasso said.