The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) made a significant breakthrough by apprehending the absconding accused, Ramnarayan, in the 2002 Garhwa fort idol theft case from Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur. Ramnarayan was captured in Naseerpur village of Fatehpur district. The theft, which occurred at the temple within Garhwa Fort, a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) site in Prayagraj, involved dacoity and murder.
The Prayagraj Police registered the case, stating that a gang of 11 individuals, led by accused Vijay Kumar Shukla, conducted the dacoity at Garhwa Fort on the night of April 21-22, 2002. During the incident, the group murdered watchman Vinod Kumar Srivastava, broke open the storeroom lock, and stole a valuable stone idol of Lord Buddha, which broke into two pieces during the theft. The CBI filed a chargesheet in 2005 against 10 accused persons, including Ramnarayan and others who had been absconding.
Investigations revealed that the stolen idol pieces were sold by Vijay Kumar Shukla to two individuals for Rs 2.20 Lakh, transported in a vehicle, and later shifted to a godown in Mahipalpur, Delhi, before allegedly being sent abroad. The CBI continued its pursuit of the absconding accused over the years and successfully apprehended all those on the run. Last year, Suraj Bhan and Ravi Karan were captured, while Vijay Kumar Shukla was located in Chitrakoot District Jail.
Following the recent arrest of Ramnarayan, all absconding accused in the case have been accounted for. Legal proceedings will now proceed for their trial in accordance with the law.
