Rajasthan: 7 Held for Stealing Rs 1.25 Crore Buried Treasure Dug Up in Ajmer Farm

Nasirabad Sadar police in Ajmer district have arrested seven accused in connection with the theft of gold, silver, copper and other valuables, along with old conch shells, that were unearthed during excavation work on a farm. Goods worth around Rs 1.25 crore and cash of Rs 17.44 lakh have been recovered from the accused. Investigators suspect a much larger number of villagers may have been involved in taking away the valuable ornaments.

How the case came to light

Station House Officer Radheshyam Chaudhary said that on 12 August, police received information that gold, silver, copper and other precious metal objects, along with old conch shells, had been found around two months earlier during excavation of a field in Bithoor. Some people were said to have stolen the items from the site at the time. Given the seriousness of the matter, a team was formed under the guidance of IG Dr Ravi, SP Harshvardhan Agarwala, ASP Rajesh Kumar Meel and Circle Officer Laxman Ram Chaudhary. Police, along with a revenue department team, inspected the site and began their investigation, where evidence of excavation using a JCB machine was found.

Those arrested

Police arrested Feroze Khan and Kadar Mehrat, both residents of Bithoor, along with Shankar Singh, Harlal Rawat, Jaisingh, Mahavir Singh and Narayan Singh Rawat, residents of Dholadanta Boobania. Gold, silver and copper items were recovered from the accused, along with cash they had received from selling the stolen goods. Police have kept the recovered items in safe custody for further investigation.

What was recovered

According to Nasirabad Sadar police, around 700 grams of gold, 310 grams of silver, two and a half kilograms of copper rods and wire, and two conch shells have been recovered. The gold recovered includes plates, ingots and jewellery. In addition, cash worth Rs 17.44 lakh was found. The total value of the recovered items is estimated at around Rs 1.25 crore.

Fears that a large quantity of goods may have been sold off

Police said the incident took place around two months ago. Since the site was located amid open fields with no CCTV cameras nearby, the case posed a challenge for investigators. Police reached the accused using intelligence, technical investigation and informant networks. The station house officer said preliminary investigation suggests a large number of villagers may have taken away part of the buried treasure, and that some of it has already been sold off. Police are continuing efforts to trace the remaining accused and the stolen goods.