No clues on Nobel theft, only comfort: citation untouched

While the CID has begun a probe, Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee said the Centre8217;s help may be sought at a later stage. Sujit Basu, Vice-Chancellor of the Visva Bharati University, announced that he would welcome investigation by any agency, including the CBI.

Museum officials have drawn up a final list of 51 stolen items. The only light at the end of a dark day was that the citation given to Tagore8212;which came with the Nobel medallion8212;has been spared. The citation lay right next to the gold medal, which weighed about 480 gm.

Meanwhile, the possibility of someone hiding inside on Tuesday afternoon when the museum was closed and then carrying out the operation was almost ruled out. Police have found distinct marks of pressure on the outside of the wooden window. 8216;8216;It is 100 per cent certain that the operation was carried out by a professional gang, using special instruments,8217;8217; said an Inspector.

Opinion is split on whether it was the handiwork of a professional smuggling syndicate or a gang of burglars. Arguments are based on a walking stick, whose gold-plated head was wrenched off by the thieves.

Some point out that the robbers could not have been aware of the priceless value of the entire walking stick, given most probably by the Pithapuram King of South India, who was a great admirer of the poet.

This, they say, is a clear indication that the heist was pulled off by a gang of burglars and not a smuggling ring.

But others point out that common thieves would not waste time ripping open the frames of at least three paintings, before decamping with them. It is another matter that the paintings were reprints. A senior university official confirmed that the original manuscripts of Tagore8217;s writings and almost 1600 original paintings by him are in the 8216;8216;safe custody8217;8217; of a locker in Uttarayan, the main building in Santiniketan where the poet lived.

Questions are also being raised over whether this was an act of sabotage to discredit the present authority, or the result of neglect and decaying concern for the priceless heritage of this place.

However, there is no disputing the fact that this is not the first time that the university has lost some precious heirlooms.

There is a history of vanishing heritage 8212; from a huge bronze bell weighing anything near a ton to an old sandalwood tree that vanished from the courtyard of Acharya Kripalani8217;s house in the university campus just a couple of months back. There are also cases of pillage of important sculptures and old paintings.