Vavuniya Headquarter Police says that an army soldier was arrested on suspicion of stealing a brass idol of Nataraja from the Ganadevi Kovil in Vavuniya.
The arrested suspect is a 21-year-old soldier attached to the Akkarayankulam Army Camp.
The suspect was caught by a group of drivers at the Vavuniya van parking lot and handed over to the Vavuniya Headquarters police when he was taking the statue stolen from the Hindu temple in a bag to sell.
The priest of the temple is said to have told the police that the idol is worth 55,000 rupees.