Noida man steals 50-million-year-old fossil from trade fair in Delhi, arrested
According to the police, the accused, who worked at Noida's Crown Plaza Hotel, was a regular visitor to the trade fair in Delhi and had a keen interest in various art forms. He was arrested by the police from Noida.
by Arvind Ojha · India TodayIn Short
- Police identify accused using CCTV footage after GSI complaint
- Fossil recovered from accused's possession
- He stole the fossil to sell it at a high price in black market, police say
A 49-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly stealing a 50-million-year-old fossil from the Geological Survey of India's (GSI) stall at the India International Trade Fair 2024 in Delhi.
According to police, the accused, Manoj Kumar Mishra, a resident of Noida, was arrested after the cops scanned over 100 CCTV footage from the location and nearby stalls, pavilions, and halls for his identification.
The theft of Gastropod Fossil, which is the preserved remains of an ancient snail or slug, took place on November 21 in Hall Number Four of the Ministry of Mines Pavilion, police said.
After the theft, a complaint was filed by GSI officials with the Delhi Police, saying that the fossil, weighing one kilogram and measuring 14 cm in length, 10 cm in width, and 12 cm in height, had gone missing from their stall.
Upon receiving the complaint, a case was registered under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and teams were constituted to recover the fossil.
Using technical analysis, the accused was identified and tracked to Noida. Based on the information, the police team conducted a raid in Sector 22 of Noida and arrested Mishra on Tuesday, November 26.
During interrogation, Mishra confessed to the theft and the Gastropod Fossil was recovered from his possession. Also, the ticket dated November 21, which he used for entry into IITF-2024 was seized from his possession.
In its statement, the Delhi Police said that Mishra is an employee of Noida's Crown Plaza Hotel and a regular visitor to the Trade Fair with a keen interest in various art forms.
On November 21, Mishra stole the Gastropod Fossil from the Geological Survey of India stall with the intention of selling it at a high price. On checking his antecedents, he was not found to be involved in any previous criminal case, police said.
Further investigation is underway, the police said.