Bhopal Man Climbs 25-Foot Wall to Steal Artefacts from Museum, Here’s What Happened Next

Bhopal: A man was arrested in Bhopal for trying to steal artefacts worth around Rs 15 crore from Madhya Pradesh's State Museum.

Police reported that the suspect, Vinod Yadav, bought a ticket to enter the museum on September 1 (Sunday). Once inside, he hid behind a staircase and waited until the museum closed in the evening.

On Monday, while the museum was closed, Yadav stole over 200 gold and silver coins, ranging from the Gupta era to the Mughal period, along with other artefacts. He then attempted to escape by climbing a 25-foot wall but failed and injured himself in the process.

Later, museum officials alerted the police after finding broken locks and empty boxes that contained gold and silver artefacts and coins among other materials.

The police arrived at the museum and conducted a search operation of the premises, during which the accused was found lying injured near the museum's wall and was subsequently arrested by the police.

A bag was also recovered from him which contained 98 gold and metal coins dating from the Gupta age to the Mughal period, 75 silver coins of various sizes, 38 copper coins, one gold medal, and 12 mixed-metal medals having an approximate market value of Rs 15 crore.

Speaking about the incident, the Bhopal Police's Deputy Commissioner of Police Riyaz Iqbal said, "During questioning, the accused said that he had entered the State Museum on Sunday afternoon after buying a ticket. He then hid under the stairs and, after the museum closed. He also noticed that a few home guards and private guards were patrolling outside. After stealing the artefacts, he attempted to scale the 25-foot wall, but was unsuccessful."

Iqbal also said that the security arrangements of the museum were substandard, which probably eased Yadav's robbery.

The security alarm and CCTV cameras were not working, and the entry doors were weak and could be opened with a strong push, he added.

A case was registered, and further investigation is underway, he added.