Lok Sabha Question No. 1798 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-31
Subject: Theft of Idols
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Kanimozhi Karunanidhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-1798

ANSWERED ON- 31/07/2023

## THEFT OF IDOLS

## 1798.   SHRIMATI KANIMOZHI KARUNANIDHI

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:-

- (a) the  details  regarding  the  number  of  temple  idols  stolen  and  recovered  so  far  in  the country, State-wise including Tamil Nadu during the last 10 years;
- (b) the measures taken by the Government to prevent idol theft in temples;
- (c) the  details  regarding  the  number  of  idols  stolen  and  still  not  recovered  from  foreign countries, country-wise; and
- (d) the measures taken by the Government to recover the stolen idols from abroad?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF CULTURE, TOURISM AND DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH EASTERN REGION

(SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)

- (a) The  list  of  antiquities  stolen  and  recovered  from  the  Centrally  Protected  Monuments, sites, temples, etc. during   last 10 years (2013-2023) is annexed as Annexure-I.
- (b) Archaeological Survey of India is committed towards the protection of monuments, sites and antiquities under its jurisdiction. Besides regular watch and ward staff of Archaeological Survey of India, Private Security Guards, State Police Armed Guards, and Central Industrial Security Force have been deployed as per requirement. Whenever any theft  of  antiquity  is  reported,  FIR  is  lodged  in  concerned  police station  and  'Look  Out Notice' is issued to law enforcement agencies including Custom Exit Channels to keep vigil to trace stolen antiquity and prevent its illegal export.
- (c) Total  31  antiquities  have  been  stolen  from  the  Centrally  Protected  Monuments,  sites, temple, etc. as mentioned Annexure-I, of which 27 are still to be recovered. However, no information is available about their illegal shipping abroad.
- (d) Government is committed to bring back the antiquities of Indian origin which were taken away  from  India.  Whenever  any  such  antiquity  of  Indian  origin  surfaces  abroad, Archaeological Survey of India takes up the matter with the Indian Embassies/Missions abroad through MEA for their retrieval. Archaeological Survey of India has retrieved 251 antiquities from foreign countries from the year 1976 to 2023, of which 238 have been retrieved from 2014 to 2023.

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART- (a) & (c) LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1798

## Details of Idols / Antiquities Stolen from Protected Monuments / Temples under ASI in Last Ten Years (2013-2023)

| Sl. No.           | States &UTs                 | Number objects   | Recovered   |
|-------------------|-----------------------------|------------------|-------------|
| 1.                | Andhra Pradesh              | 03               | 02          |
| 2.                | Arunachal Pradesh           | Nil              | Nil         |
| 3.                | Assam                       | Nil              | Nil         |
| 4.                | Bihar                       | 04               | Nil         |
| 5.                | Chhattisgarh                | 02               | Nil         |
| 6.                | Goa                         | Nil              | Nil         |
| 7.                | Gujarat                     | Nil              | Nil         |
| 8.                | Haryana                     | Nil              | Nil         |
| 9.                | Himachal Pradesh            | Nil              | Nil         |
| 10.               | Jharkhand                   | Nil              | Nil         |
| 11.               | Karnataka                   | 14               | 01          |
| 12.               | Kerala                      | Nil              | Nil         |
| 13.               | Madhya Pradesh              | Nil              | Nil         |
| 14.               | Maharashtra                 | Nil              | Nil         |
| 15.               | Manipur                     | Nil              | Nil         |
| 16.               | Meghalaya                   | Nil              | Nil         |
| 17.               | Mizoram                     | Nil              | Nil         |
| 18.               | Nagaland                    | Nil              | Nil         |
| 19.               | Odisha                      | 04               | Nil         |
| 20.               | Punjab                      | Nil              | Nil         |
| 21.               | Rajasthan                   | 03               | Nil         |
| 22.               | Sikkim                      | Nil              | Nil         |
| 23.               | Tamil Nadu                  | Nil              | Nil         |
| 24.               | Telangana                   | Nil              | Nil         |
| 25.               | Tripura                     | Nil              | Nil         |
| 26.               | Uttar Pradesh               | Nil              | Nil         |
| 27.               | Uttarakhand                 | 01               | 01          |
| 28.               | West Bengal                 | Nil              | Nil         |
| Union Territories | Union Territories           |                  |             |
| 1.                | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Nil              | Nil         |
| 2.                | Chandigarh                  | Nil              | Nil         |
| 3.                | Dadra and Nagar Haveli      | Nil              | Nil         |
| 4.                | Daman and Diu               | Nil              | Nil         |
| 5.                | Delhi                       | Nil              | Nil         |
| 6.                | Jammu and Kashmir           | Nil              | Nil         |
| 7.                | Ladakh                      | Nil              | Nil         |
| 8.                | Lakshadweep                 | Nil              | Nil         |
| 9.                | Puducherry                  | Nil              | Nil         |

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