Historical Treasure: Over 200 Gold Coins Worth Rs 1.3 Crore Found While Digging Work
Mubarak Ansari
Pimpri Chinchwad, 9th March 2021: A large stock of historical gold coins have been seized by Pimpri-Chinchwad police. A total of 216 gold coins were seized by the Crime Branch Unit 2 which were found during digging work in Chikhli.
Speaking in this regard, Commissioner of Police Krishna Prakash said in a press conference, “The gold coins weigh 2,357 grams. We have also found a broken bronze container weighing 525 gram. The seized coins date from the period 1720 to 1750 AD. According to the Archaeological Department, the gold coins have the seal of ‘Raja Muhammad Shah’ with the name written in Urdu and Arabic.”
Police officials said that the value of one coin is between Rs 60,000 and Rs 70,000. In other words, the value of these 216 coins seized is more than Rs 1.3 Crores.
According to police, during a routine checking of criminals on police record on March 8, Police Naik Jamir Tamboli received a tip-off that Saddam Salar Khan Pathan, a resident of Vithalnagar slums in Nehrunagar, Pimpri, has illegally kept historical gold coins in his possession. A team led by Police Sub Inspector Sanjay Nilpatrewar swooped down on the house of Pathan along with jewellery experts. After the genuineness of the coins was confirmed, cops seized them as per the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) Section 102.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Sudhir Hiremath said that during the investigation it was learnt that three-four months ago, Pathan’s father-in-law Mubarak Shaikh and brother-in-law Irfan Shaikh, both residents of Parbhani district, had come here to work as labourers.
“Pathan had taken them to work at a construction site in Chikhli. During digging work for columns, the duo found a few coins. They showed the coins to Pathan, and again went to the same place and dug a mound of earth to search for gold coins. They found broken metal bronze and scattered gold coins. Pathan brought home all the valuables,” DCP Hiremath said.
Police officials said that there was a dispute between Shaikh and Pathan which led to the information leaking out. Police said that they were sent home with a notice after getting detailed information.
Commissioner of Police Krishna Prakash said that the coins will be handed over to the archaeological department after informing the court. “Further action will be taken based on the report from the archaeological department,” he added.
The action was taken under the guidance of Commissioner of Police Krishna Prakash, Additional Commissioner Ramnath Pokale, DCP Sudhir Hiremath and ACP Prashant Amritkar.
The team included Crime Branch Unit 2 Police Inspector Shailesh Gaikwad, Sub-Inspector Sanjay Nilpatrewar and police personnel Kerappa Mane, Dilip Chaudhary, Shivanand Swamy, Pramod Vetal, Deepak Kharat, Usha Dale, Jaywant Raut, Vasant Khomane, Vipul Jadhav, Jamir Tamboli, Namdev Raut, Ajit Sanap, Namdev Kapase, Atish Kudke and Shivaji Mundhe.
