'Antique' Buddha idol turned into metal bars, 7 Hansi cops suspended

Tribune News Service

Deepender Deswal

Hisar, March 17

Seven policemen posted at the CIA-2 wing of Hansi police district have been suspended after they allegedly converted a 4 kg metal idol of Lord Buddha into eight bars, presuming it to be of gold.

Shrikant Jadhav, ADGP, Hisar Range, said an FIR under Sections 166-A, 201, 217, 409, 420 and 120 B would be registered against them and a special investigation team (SIT) would be constituted to probe the case.

On January 12, the CIA staffers nabbed Bablu of UP, who worked as a daily wager at a local factory, from Hansi bus stand and seized the “antique” idol from his possession. They allegedly let him off after interrogation, but kept the idol.

Sources said the staffers presuming the idol to be of gold got it melted and converted into eight pieces of biscuit-sized bars. It was later found that the idol was made of some other metal.

Meanwhile, Bablu resurfaced and lodged a complaint with the Hisar IGP office, accusing the seven policemen of illegally taking away his idol. A probe was ordered and the staffers, including the CIA-2 wing’s in-charge, were reportedly found guilty of wrongdoing. Hansi SP Nitika Gahlot said a case of fraud under Sections 420, 406, 384, 506 and 34 of the IPC was registered against Bablu and his accomplices Ramdas, Bimlesh, Raghwinder and Satwinder.

The SP claimed the accused belonged to UP-based Tatlu gang which duped people by selling fake antique and gold idols.

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