Kavre, February 13:

Armed masked robbers decamped with five 200-year-old statues from Chaukot Durbar in Panauti Municipality-1 in the wee hours today.

The Banepa area police office said a gang of some 10 members stole the 15-inch tall golden statue of Swet Ganesh, a 15-inch and three four-inch tall statues of Bhimsen and a statue of the family god of Rajbansi lineage.

These statues used to be brought out for display during religious processions and jatras.

Locals said the gang overpowered the 10 Rajbansis assigned to guard the durbar and took away the statues and Rs 5,000 in cash.

The looters hacked one of the guards, Mahesh Rajbansi, when he tried to retaliate against them. Police said they were able to get back Rs 500 of the Rs 5,000 that had been looted.

Mahesh’s uncle Prakash said the ornaments for the statues were kept in another room and the robbers could not get there.

Rajbansis have been using the Chaukot Durbar as their living quarters and keep watch over the precious objects there. Over time, people entrusted them with the task of guarding the durbar. Locals took three persons under control for their suspected involvement in the theft and handed them over to police.