ASHTDHATU IDOLS STOLEN

ASHTDHATU IDOLS STOLEN

13-JULY-ENG 2

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA--------------------------Unknown thieves stole idols of Ram-Janki and Lakshman from the *Mathiya* (temple/monastery) located in Pitro village, under the Lahthan Panchayat of the Agiaon Bazar police station area in Bhojpur district, last night. The stolen idols are said to be made of *Ashtadhatu* (an eight-metal alloy), and their value is estimated to run into crores in the international market. The incident has caused a stir in the village and surrounding areas. Upon receiving the information, the police arrived at the scene and have initiated an investigation.

According to reports, the local *Mahant* (head priest), Ramsurat Singh, had returned home at 9 PM on Saturday after performing *puja* and *aarti*. When the priest arrived at the *Mathiya* around 3 AM on Sunday, he found the latch of the sanctum's door open. An attempt had been made to cut the inner door using a cutter, but when that failed, the thieves pried the door off its hinges using a metal rod. They then stole the idols of Lord Ram, Janki, and Lakshman.

Furthermore, the thieves also made off with the hard disk of the CCTV system installed at the *Mathiya* for security purposes. Regarding this, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Agiaon Bazar stated that a theft occurred at the Pitro *Mathiya* last night. Three idols, reportedly made of *Ashtadhatu*, were stolen. No formal complaint has been received yet; the police will register an FIR and take necessary action once the complaint is filed. Meanwhile, the police are independently working to trace the thieves.

It is worth noting that the idols of Ram-Janki and Lakshman were originally installed in the Pitro *Mathiya* in 1911. Previously, on May 14, 2013, thieves had stolen the idols after murdering the *Mahant*. The stolen idols were recovered on May 17 from a field (fodder storage area) in Jamnipur Baina village, following which the police arrested the *Mahant*'s killers. In this regard, Omprakash Singh, the Mukhiya of Petero, had the idols of Lord Ram and Janaki released from court custody and re-installed following a *Yajna* in 2019. Subsequently, in 2025, thieves made an unsuccessful attempt to steal the idols in broad daylight; they fled, abandoning the idols, after being spotted by children playing cricket. The accused involved in the murder of the *Mahant* were sentenced to life imprisonment.

Four individuals—Shaukat Paswan, Suresh Paswan, Badak Paswan, and Binayak Paswan—were sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of *Mahant* Shivbachan Das; all of them are currently out on bail granted by the High Court. Meanwhile, Satyanarayan Paswan and Shivaji Yadav were arrested two years later; Shivaji Yadav has since passed away.