From Discovery to Disappearance: The Mysterious Tale of 240 British Gold Coins

Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh Police are investigating the intriguing case of 240 British-era gold coins that were recovered from an old house in Gujarat. The coins, valued at Rs 3-4 lakh each, went missing after being stolen by four police personnel. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to look into the matter.

The story began when Ramkubai from Alirajpur district found the coins while demolishing the old house in Navsari, Gujarat. Carrying one of the limited-edition coins minted in 1922 at the British mint, featuring King George VI, she reported the discovery to the police. The SIT believes all coins are likely to be of the same category.

Ramkubai and her family brought the 240 gold coins back to their village, Bajda, in Madhya Pradesh and buried them in their house. Unfortunately, the police got wind of the treasure. On July 19, four police personnel, including the Sondwa police station house officer Vijay Devda, allegedly arrived in plain clothes, manhandled the family, and made off with the coins. The accused police personnel have been suspended, and an FIR has been registered against them for theft.

The SIT has split into two teams for the investigation. One team is in Gujarat with Ramkubai and her family, trying to conduct an inquiry with the house owner, Imtiyaz Baliya, who resides in London, and the contractor hired for the demolition. The other team is working on tracing the missing police personnel.

Former MLA Nagar Singh Chauhan and others protested at the Sondwa police station, demanding that the four policemen be charged with looting instead of theft and the recovery of the gold coins.

Amid the investigation, the suspended officer Vijay Devda and constable Virendra released a video denying the allegations and requesting an investigation by officers from outside the district.

The numismatists’ expert opinion suggests that British-era coins with ‘one mohar’ or ‘two mohar’ stamped on them usually hold a value between Rs 3-4 lakh.