Two arrested for robbing Thai tourists in India's famous Buddhist temple

Following two robberies in March, City SP Gaya senior superintendent of police Ashish Bharti had formed a special investigation team to arrest the culprits and prevent a repetition of such crimes.

On Tuesday the Thai consulate in Kolkata City had written a letter to Gaya district magistrate Dr Thiyagarajan SM, asking for safety and security for Thai and other foreign pilgrims, especially women and seniors, Hindustan Times newspaper reported.

On March 7 a middle-aged Thai woman complained she was robbed while walking back to the monastery from the temple.

The second robbery took place on March 10 when two Thai women pilgrims were attacked by a man.

Luckily, they managed to escape safely, the letter said.

"The Royal Thai Consulate General is concerned that these may impact Thai pilgrims' confidence in the safety in Bodh Gaya, especially in the area around the stretch of road from the Mahabodhi Temple to Wat Pa Bhudhagaya."

The Mahabodhi Temple, a UNESCO world heritage site, contains a bodhi tree thought to have grown from a seed from the original one under which the Buddha attained enlightenment, and has been a major pilgrimage destination for Buddhists for over 2,000 years.