Someone broke into one of Arunachal Pradesh’s most ancient temple sites under cover of night — and thought they’d gotten away with it. They hadn’t.
A Night That Shook a Sacred Site
The Malinithan Temple, tucked away near Likabali in Lower Siang district, has stood for nearly a thousand years. Pilgrims travel from across the region to offer prayers at this 10th–12th century archaeological complex. So when the Malinithan Vikash Parishad Committee filed a complaint on July 5, alleging that thieves had broken in during the night of July 4–5 and stripped the temple of its ritual items, it wasn’t just a theft — it felt like a violation of something much deeper. Among the stolen items were ten brass bells (ghantis), six copper pots (tamba ghoti), one Khalid, and an aluminium bucket. Sacred, everyday objects. But objects that belong to a place that belongs to everyone.
The Investigation Kicks Into Gear
Likabali Police moved fast. A case was registered under Section 305(a)(d) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and Sub-Inspector Kardo Ori was handed the investigation. Leading the charge was Inspector Abraham Taying, Officer-in-Charge of Likabali Police Station, who pushed the team to combine old-school policing instincts with modern technological tools. It’s the kind of methodical, no-drama detective work that doesn’t make for flashy headlines but gets results. And it did, quickly.
One Arrest, One Confession
Within about a week, investigators zeroed in on Toli Geyi, a resident of Upper Colony in Likabali. He was arrested on July 13. During interrogation, he allegedly confessed to carrying out the theft and — perhaps most crucially — told police exactly where he’d hidden the stolen items. Part of the loot was stashed in a jungle hideout near the Malinithan area itself. The rest had been sold off across the state border in Silapather, Assam. Police recovered artefacts from both locations, retrieving most of what had been taken.
More Than Just a Crime Case
What makes this case worth paying attention to is what it says about heritage security in the Northeast. Malinithan isn’t just a tourist spot. It’s a living piece of history, the kind of place that communities have protected for generations. The fact that someone from the very locality could walk in, steal from a temple, and nearly sell those artefacts away permanently — that’s a sobering thought. Officials credited the outcome to the coordinated professionalism of the investigation team, and that credit is well deserved.
The artefacts are back where they belong. But the question of how well our ancient sites are protected — that conversation is only just beginning.
HASHTAGS
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