Bhopal museum heist gone wrong! Thief steals artefacts worth Rs 15 crore, gets caught after 25ft fall

In a dramatic twist of fate, one of India’s most audacious museum heists has been spectacularly thwarted by the thief’s own misfortune. On a fateful Sunday, a brazen intruder, who had infiltrated the Bhopal state museum, meticulously packed a sack with priceless artefacts worth Rs 15 crore, some of which date back to the illustrious Gupta Age. Yet, his grand scheme was foiled when he plummeted from the museum's towering 25-foot wall, suffering grievous injuries that include a fractured leg and, quite possibly, a shattered spine.

Authorities are hailing the botched heist as a stroke of serendipity, given the museum's lack of security infrastructure. "Security arrangements for such priceless artefacts were substandard. There was no alarm system. CCTV cameras were not working and the DVR could not be found. The doors were weak and could be easily opened with a strong push," lamented Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 3), Riyaz Iqbal, in an interview with The Times of India.

Also read: With folded hands, thief bows down before Lord Hanuman, then decamps with jewellery (Watch)

The suspect, identified as Vinod Yadav, a 49-year-old from Gaya in Bihar, had previously visited the museum six months prior while accompanying a NEET candidate. Yadav, who professes to be a modest farmer, confessed that his ill-fated burglary attempt was motivated by a desire to secure a better education for his children. The artefacts he pilfered, valued at an estimated Rs 15 crore, were carefully selected with intent.

Investigators report that Yadav was well-prepared, equipped with an array of tools for prying open doors, breaking into display cases, and scaling barriers. As the police delve deeper into the case, they are scrutinizing whether Yadav acted alone or had accomplices.

A thorough inventory check is underway, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been established to unravel the full extent of the attempted heist.

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