FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT
ITAGAR, Sept 12: A fugitive felon Dorjee Som who went missing after reportedly stealing the 15th century Buddha statue from Shoktsen village in Tawang district, was apprehended on Thursday by Inspector Kesang Norbu and SI And Mondal from New Delhi. The cops were able to catch hold of Dorjee after the team received information from Lobsang Chodup and Rinchin Tsering, an official press release informed. Som has been absconding since the statue went missing from Serteng Gonpa on August 20 last. The antique brass statue locally referred as Jowa Thunghar Dondup was however recovered from a guest house in Guwahati by a team of police led by SI Mondal on August 30 last. According to certain sources the brass Buddha statue was supposed to be smuggled and traded at an intertiol antique market en-route Nepal at a staggering amount of Rs 300 crore. A case under 380 of IPC has been registered at Lumla police station against Som while he would be deported to Tawang very soon under transit remand, the release added.