Seven Arrested in UP for Alleged Attempt to Sell Fake Buddha Idol in Nepal

PTI, August 2, 2026, Bahraich (UP) : Seven persons have been arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle a fake idol of Buddha into Nepal by passing it off as an ancient 'ashtadhatu' artefact to sell it at a hefty price, the police said on Sunday.

The arrests were made in the Rupaideha area along the India-Nepal border following a tip-off, Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Durga Prasad Tiwari said.

Acting on the lead, a police team laid a trap near the Badaldas Temple and arrested the seven accused, he said.

The police seized a Buddha idol measuring about eight inches in height and weighing 4.960 kg, three motorcycles, cash and seven mobile phones from their possession.

The accused have been identified as Ramzan Ali alias Kale Khan, Noor Mohammad, Azad Ali, Rizwan, Mahfooz, Shakir Ali and Sameer alias Noor, all residents of the border area in Bahraich.

According to the officer, the preliminary investigation revealed that the gang was allegedly trying to dupe prospective buyers in Nepal by claiming the idol was a rare artefact made of 'ashtadhatu' (eight metals) worth crores of rupees.

The accused have been booked for cheating, forgery and other offences, and remanded in judicial custody, Tiwari said.

The police are also probing whether the gang had cross-border links.

Among the accused, Ramzan Ali and Noor Mohammad have criminal cases registered against them at the Rupaidiha police station.