Nine gold medals and 17 antique silver coins, some belonging to the erstwhile Tripura state, were stolen from the National Museum here and replaced with bronze and steel replicas, a media report said on Tuesday.
The authorities are not sure about how many objects were stolen from their store over the years as they have not maintained a proper inventory since 1982.
The authorities say the thieves must be “insiders” as no burglary was reported since 1991 when a gold-silver lion-faced arm of the throne of Dighapatia king was stolen.
“We know for sure some of the museum officials are responsible for this. We are investigating exactly how many pieces were stolen and who did it,”
Promod Mankin, state minister for cultural affair ministry who visited the museum on Monday, told the Daily Star newspaper on Tuesday.
Museum authorities complain of an acute workforce shortage. Preparing an inventory is delayed “as all the responsible people are on leave preparatory to retirement or remain suspended on charge of neglect of duty”, the minister said.
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Pakistan troops kill 23 militants in search ops
Peshawar, July 6: Pakistan’s security forces killed at least 23 militants in an exchange of fire during a search operation in the country’s troubled northwest, officials said.
The clash took place in remote Kilpani village of Lower Dir, the district where four bombers armed with car bombs and rockets attacked a paramilitary checkpoint killing one soldier early on Sunday.
A senior military official said that the police, paramilitary and Army were carrying out a joint search in the village when a group of about 50 insurgents opened fire on them, triggering a gunbattle. —AFP