Theft at museum: Probe trail may lead cops to Bihar

Bhopal: Vinod Yadav, the suspect arrested in connection with the theft of jewellery worth Rs 15 crore from the State Museum continues to mislead the police. The Special Investigation Team (SIT), formed to investigate the case, is tracing his network from Bhopal to Bihar. Police suspect that the accused may be linked to a gang involved in the illicit trade of the nation’s priceless artefacts. Meanwhile, the suspect’s family has been informed of his arrest.Shyamla Hills SHO Ghumendra Singh said that on Tuesday morning, police received information that two rooms in the State Museum had been broken into, and gold and other metal coins, as well as jewellery from the Mughal and Gupta periods, had been stolen. The stolen items were estimated to be worth around Rs 15 crore. Upon arriving at the scene, police searched the premises and found a man lying injured. During questioning, he identified himself as Vinod Yadav, 49, a resident of Gaya, Bihar. A bag in his possession contained all the stolen artefacts.SHO Ghumendra said that during interrogation, the accused, Vinod Yadav, claimed he lives in Gaya and is a farmer. However, when the police contacted his family, they revealed that he works as a commission agent, taking patients to hospitals for a commission. His wife and children reside in Patna, not Gaya. His elder son is in class 10, and his younger son is in class 6. Vinod stated that he arrived in Bhopal on Sunday morning and devised the plan to steal from the museum. However, the police are sceptical of his statements.SHO Ghumendra Singh said that Vinod was well-prepared, carrying a bag containing tools like an iron rod for breaking locks, a hacksaw, a wrench, ropes, gloves, and a black mask. He purchased a ticket and entered the museum, hiding under the stairs until closing time. After stealing the artefacts, he filled his bag and waited until morning to leave. He planned to exit with other visitors, but since the museum was closed on Monday, he had to spend another night inside. On the second night, he attempted to climb the 25-foot-high wall using a water pipe and electrical cables. However, due to woollen gloves, he slipped and fell from a height of about 20 feet, fracturing his leg and injuring his back. Unable to make another attempt, he was caught.DCP (Zone-3) Riyaz Iqbal said that the accused Vinod Yadav carried a keypad mobile phone with him. He made calls to his wife and a friend in Bihar after he fell off the wall and got injured. His wife and friend advised him to take help from the security officials. It suggests that he remained lying injured at the spot where he was found for a long time.DCP Iqbal said that as of now police have not found any link of the accused with any artefact thieves or any such gang involved in stealing such items. It seems that the accused simply saw items made up of precious metal like gold and silver at the State Museum during his visit to Bhopal and planned to commit theft. Police commissioner Harinarayanchari Mishra said that a police team will be sent to Gaya in Bihar to gather information on the accused Vinod Yadav to determine whether he was linked to any organised artefact thieves.