Nagpur: A sparkling gold ring embossed with the national emblem stands out among the booty of jewels recovered by cops from bushes near a railway track in the city. The valuables have been lying with Yashodhara Nagar police for over a week, but neither investigators nor the thieves who led cops on the trail of the hidden treasure are aware of the owner. The gold cache is pegged at Rs 5.5 lakh, but there are no claimants, putting cops in a dilemma.
Now, cops are running pillar to post to establish its ownership and are contacting multiple police stations and crime branch for clues. "We want to return the gold to the rightful owner. I contacted four police stations, including Sonegaon and Beltarodi, but nowhere the description of seized valuables matched with registered FIRs. We feel the ring with the Ashoka Stambh engraved on it could belong to an elected representative or government officer," said a senior officer.
During routine patrolling, police had nabbed two key accused — Sheikh Moinuddin, 23, and Mohammad Kaif Asamuddin Ansari, 21, along with stolen two-wheelers. Further interrogation led to the arrest of two others. During interrogation, gang members revealed they had hidden gold and jewellery near railway tracks close to Vandevi Nagar slums and led police to the spot. However, the goons gave vague locations of Sonegaon and Beltarodi as probable sources of the stolen gold.
"We solved eight cases and recovered substantial stolen property, but this particular gold has left us in a catch-22 situation," a senior officer said. The operation was conducted under the guidance of deputy commissioner of police Nityanand Jha and assistant commissioner of police Rohit Oval (Kalmana division).
Police Efforts to Find Owner
The Yashodhara Nagar police have been actively trying to locate the rightful owner of the gold ring. They have contacted several police stations and the crime branch to cross-check descriptions of stolen items. The ring, featuring the Ashoka Stambh, is believed to be of significant value and possibly belonging to a government official or elected representative.
Arrests and Recovery
The arrests were made during routine patrolling when two suspects were caught with stolen two-wheelers. Their interrogation led to the recovery of hidden gold and jewellery. Despite solving eight cases, the police are puzzled by the lack of claims for this particular cache.
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