Bhopal: Vinod Yadav, a 49-year-old resident of Gaya, Bihar, was arrested Tuesday after he was found lying injured near the outer wall of the Bhopal State Museum. Yadav is accused of stealing artefacts, valued at nearly Rs 15 crore, dating back to the Gupta, Mughal, and Nawab periods.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Bhopal), Iqbal Riyaz, the town inspector of Shyamla Hills police station, Ghumendra Singh, received a complaint Tuesday morning from the guards of the state museum that a theft had occurred with nearly a hundred coins and medals from the Gupta, Mughal and British periods, all kept in two rooms of the museum, missing.
In response, a team of police personnel reached the museum and cordoned off the entire area, blocking off all the entry and exit gates as well as critical points across Bhopal to stop the robber from escaping the city.
Teams of three carried out a systematic search at the museum. During the operation, Yadav was found injured near the main entrance of the museum. A bag recovered from him contained the stolen goods, police said.
Police also discovered ornaments in his possession.
“It was during this search that near the main entrance of the museum, alongside a 25-foot wall, the accused identified as Vinod (45) was found injured lying near the bushes. He was found with a bag and inside the bag were 98 coins and medals that were from various periods ranging from the Gupta period to the most recent one being from the Nawab rule of Bhopal. Along with this, there were ornaments with intricate designs on it,” said DCP (Bhopal) Riyaz to ThePrint.
According to the police, the preliminary estimate by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) put the worth of the stolen objects between 12 to 15 crores, with the gold medals and ornaments alone valued at about Rs 5 crore.
During the investigation, police found that Vinod Yadav had traveled to Bhopal Saturday and spent the night on the train platform. On Sunday, a day when the museum is usually crowded, he bought a ticket to enter. As the museum was closing, he hid under a staircase, waiting until after hours to steal the coins, medals, and ornaments. Since the museum is closed Mondays, the theft went unnoticed.
When he tried to escape, Vinod found heavy security, including private security and the home guard, deployed outside the gate.
“He tried to step out, but looking at the security guards, he did not go ahead with it. He later felt that the only way out was to climb the 25-foot wall on one side of the museum and while he was attempting to escape, he fell,” added Iqbal Riyaz.
According to Iqbal Riyaz, Vinod Yadav sustained injuries to his spinal cord and legs. When he was found, he was conscious and talking, and was immediately admitted to Bhopal’s Hamidia Hospital. However, while providing details, he seemed somewhat confused and incoherent about when exactly he attempted to climb and when he fell. He also tried calling his family using his cell phone.
A team has been dispatched to Gaya to verify these details.
Along with the stolen goods, police also recovered a black mask, a pair of gloves, heavy instruments, cut locks and ropes in his bag.
Police took the accused to the hospital. He was in a stable condition.
The DCP said Vinod Yadav had visited Bhopal six months ago with two boys who were assigned Bhopal as their NEET exam center. “He cooked for them for some money while they rented a room and stayed for two to three days. During this time, when the boys were in class or studying, he would explore the city. It was then that he visited the museum, noticing substantial coin collection and the lack of security,” he said.
He saw there were no CCTV cameras or alarm systems, despite the museum housing valuables worth nearly Rs 60 crore.
The police investigation found more than 50 fingerprints on the glass cases that had broken open. They were checking Vinod’s mobile phone to see if any other people, outsiders or museum workers, were involved in the robbery. A team of police personnel has also been sent to Gaya.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) with six police officials has been formed to look into all aspects of the robbery and investigate the case thoroughly.
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
Also Read: Why Madhya Pradesh HC has packed off 2 district officials to training, taken away magisterial powers