HYDERABAD: An antique conch dating back to the 18th century AD belonging to a Buddhist monastery situated on the Himalayas and nine idols of various Gods that were stolen from an ancient temple in Karimnagar recently were recovered by the Task Force in separate cases.The conch, according to archeological experts, is a very rare piece and could fetch more than Rs six crore in the international market.East Zone Task Force sleuths laid a trap and nabbed two persons, G Jaideep, who runs a ‘Sharanya gems and jewellery’ store at Eluru in West Godavari district and Mohammed Abdul Ghani alias Baba, an auto-trolley driver from Tappachabutra, while they were trying to sell the conch to a businessman at Malakpet.Police said the conch might had been used during rituals in a Buddhist monastery around 150-years ago in approximately 18th century AD.The conch is about 32 inches in length and its width is about 12 inches. The shell weighs about 8 kg and is studded with silver and semiprecious stones.The spiral top position of the conch has a four-spire covered with silver and has designs of a ram, boar, rabbit, peacock, rat dragon and a demon symbol embedded.The body conch is covered with silver at the opening side and decorated with a ‘Dharma Chakara’ on a pedestal planked by the dragons and an eagle embedded on top of it.The conch has symbols of a horse, pigs, ram, bull and rabbits embedded in silver with flowers.Decorated with floral and geographical designs, the central portion of the conch is decorated with symbols of fire, fish and semiprecious stones. The handle patron also has a dragon figure.“Archeological experts said the piece is very rare and would cost Rs six crore in the international market,” Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Task Force) M Ravindranath Babu said.Jaideep reportedly purchased four antique conches from an unknown person in Delhi for Rs 70,000 - Rs 90,000 to sell them at a higher price. He sold one conch for Rs one lakh in Delhi.Another two were sold to Rahmatullah alias Babu, a resident of Khairathabad for Rs 2.10 lakh. Rahmatullah was, however, caught in July 2009 at Punjagutta trying to dispose off the conches.Facing financial problems, Jaideep decided to sell the remaining conch and contacted his friend, Mohammed Abdul Ghani.The duo came near SBI colony at Malakpet for selling the conch to a businessman for Rs 40 lakh when the Task Force nabbed them.They were handed over to the Malakpet police for further action.Meanwhile, South Zone Task Force sleuths along with the Karimnagar police nabbed a scrap businessman from Chandrayangutta, Abdul Rahman, and recovered nine antique idols of different gods from him.Abdul Rahman allegedly stole the nine antique idols from a temple at Shanigaram village in Karimnagar four days back. He was nabbed at Bandlaguda while trying to dispose the stolen idols. 

 

 

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