Jaipur, July 18 (IANS) A surprising claim has surfaced from Jaipur’s historic walled city, where the owner of an ancestral haveli has alleged that treasure worth crores of rupees was unearthed during demolition work but was concealed and misappropriated by the contractor and his associates.
Based on the complaint, Manak Chowk Police Station has registered an FIR and launched an investigation.
Police clarified that the alleged discovery has not yet been verified. According to the FIR, Rahul Sethi, a resident of Gandhi Nagar, owns an ancestral property at Building No. 630, Tripolia Bazaar. He had hired a contractor to demolish the old structure and construct a new building.
Sethi alleged that before work began, he instructed the contractor that if any valuables or historical objects were found during excavation, they should be handed over to the family.
He claims that during demolition, workers discovered 10-15 silver ingots weighing approximately 40-45 kilograms, 14-15 earthen pots allegedly filled with gold coins, and 8,000–10,000 antique silver coins.
According to the complaint, contractor Mahesh Malhotra alias Chhotu and associates allegedly concealed the items and divided them among themselves without informing the owner.
The complainant told police he later learned about the alleged discovery through a person associated with the construction work. He has submitted two videos to police, claiming they contain references to the recovery and distribution of the treasure. The videos have been stored on a pen drive and handed over as evidence. Police are expected to conduct a forensic examination of the videos.
Based on the complaint, Manak Chowk Police registered a case under Section 316(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Investigators will question the contractor and others named in the complaint while examining the authenticity of the evidence and allegations.
The haveli is located in one of Jaipur’s oldest neighbourhoods and is locally believed to have once belonged to a wealthy merchant family, fuelling speculation about hidden valuables. However, police emphasised that there is no official confirmation that any treasure was discovered.
Officials said the allegations are being thoroughly investigated, and the authenticity of the complaint, videos, and other evidence will determine the facts of the case.
–IANS
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