Nizam's Museum theft case: stolen items recovered, two held

The Hyderabad Police has cracked the case of theft of antique items, including a gold tiffin box inlaid with diamonds, from the Nizam's Museum here, with the arrest of two peple, a senior police officer said Tuesday.

He said the priceless articles that also included a cup studded with rubies, diamonds and emeralds, a saucer and a spoon, belonging to the 7th Nizam Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur, were also recovered from the accused.

Fifteen special teams were formed as part of the probe to detect the theft that took place on September 2 from the third gallery of the museum at Purani Haveli.

"All stolen items have been recovered. Two accused have been apprehended," the official told PTI.

After the CCTV footage of two masked men seen walking out of the museum and riding a motorcycle went viral on social media, police suspected involvement of more than one person in the crime who gained entry into the building through a ventilator.

The Nizam's Museum showcases the collection of Nizam Osman Ali Khan, the 7th and the last Nizam, and also his father's wardrobes.

The galleries at the museum stock silver and gold artefacts and replicas of landmark constructions.

Nawab Najaf Ali Khan, the grandson of the 7th Nizam and president of the Nizam Family Welfare Association, had written a letter to Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar last week requesting him to accord "utmost priority" to recovering the missing artefacts.

He had also questioned the security arrangements at the museum.

"There is a big question mark on the management running this museum as their negligence and poor security arrangements gave easy access to the thieves," he wrote.

The museum has various precious items associated with the 7th Nizam including souvenirs, gifts presented by other rulers and dignitaries, and many more priceless objects.

Many of the exhibits are from his personal gold and silver collection that are carved intricately and are studded with diamonds and rubies.

The museum also features the massive wardrobe of the 6th Nizam, a 150-year-old manually operated lift, and 200-year -old proclamation drums, Khan wrote in the letter.