BHAKTAPUR, March 10: A foreign national has made an unsuccessful attempt to steal a statue inside the Taleju temple in the Durbar area of Bhaktapur. 

Officials said an Italian national made the unsuccessful attempt to steal a statue at Taleju Temple in Sundhara premises around 1:30 am.

An eyewitness Suresh Kawa said that he saw the foreign national trying to remove the metal statue with a knife and informed the Nepali Army soldiers assigned to protect Taleju. 

The foreign national tried to escape but was arrested later and handed over to police. The arrested has been identified as Italian citizen Tiziano Ronchi with passport number YB 2145708.

Aruna Nakarmi, Chief of Department of Archeology, Durbar Care and Monument Protection Office (DCMPO), Bhaktapur, said that the foreigner had entered the city even without receiving the mandatory ticket. There is an entry fee of $10 to enter Bhaktapur city for foreigners.

Chief Nakarmi said that they could see four people walking around Sundhara premises with the help of CCTV cameras. The arrested foreign nationals have been handed over to the police for necessary action under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act 2013. 

She said that the District Administration Office, Bhaktapur, Department of Archeology Ramshah Path, Kathmandu and Bhaktapur Municipality Vyasi, Bhaktapur have also been informed about the incident.

 
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