Gokul Shrestha
New York, Dec 5: The US Government has handed over four ancient artefacts that were stolen from Nepal and brought to America by smugglers in different periods.
The New York’s District Attorney Office has handed over these artefacts to Office of the Nepali Consulate General, New York, in a special program at the District Attorney’s Office today. These historically important archeological artefacts include dates back to the 16th and 17th centuries.
The artefacts include two Bhairav masks and stone idols of Shiva Parvati (Uma Maheshwar) and Durga. New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr., senior officials from the District Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations and officials from the Ministry of Interior handed over the artefacts to Acting Consulate General, New York, Bishnu Prasad Gautam.
The Office of the Nepali Consulate General, New York, requested the District Attorney’s Office to assist in the return of Nepalese antiquities that were smuggled from Nepal. After repeated initiatives of the Office of the Consulate General in New York, the US government handed over these antiquities to the Nepalese government only after a long investigation.
Acting Consulate General Gautam expressed his gratitude for returning the archaeological heritage of Nepal and expressed his special thanks to the officers involved in its investigation.
District Attorney Bragg expressed his commitment to break such a network, no matter how complicated it is, saying that they have started the investigation by targeting the smuggling network of antiquities.
Earlier, the Government of Nepal has succeeded in returning 16 archaeological statues and objects from the 10th century to the 17th century at the initiative of the Nepali Consulate General, New York.
The received idols will be sent to Nepal soon in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department of Archeology Nepal and other related agencies, said the Consulate General.
