2 held for stealing antiques, jewellery from museum in Rajasthan’s Kota

Kota (Rajasthan), Mar 9 (PTI) Two members of an interstate gang were arrested for allegedly stealing antiques and jewellery from a museum here, police said on Thursday.

The accused, identified as Achin Jatav (24) and Prabhat Panchal (27), both residents of Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad district, were nabbed from Delhi, they said.

Some of the antiques, stolen from the Rao Madho Singh Museum in Kota Garh Palace, have been recovered from their possession, police said.

The accused were produced before a court on Wednesday which sent them to seven days police custody, officials said.

The incident took place on the intervening night of February 26 and 27, Superintendent of Police, Kota (city) Sharad Choudhary told reporters here on Thursday.

The manager of museum filed a report alleging that two people entered the Garh Palace after jumping over the boundary wall, broke the lock and took away antiques and gold-polished silver jewelery from two showcases, police said.

Based on the report, the police lodged a case under section 457, 380 of the Indian Penal Code against unidentified persons and separate team were formed to trace the thieves, he added.

A cash reward of Rs 5,000 was announced on information about the thieves, he added.

The police teams examined footage of 200 CCTV cameras and identified three persons, who were seen carrying out a recce of the place, he further said.

Jatav and Panchal were arrested on Tuesday and some of the antiques were recovered from their possession, the SP said.

Efforts are underway to nab the third absconding accused, the SP added.