In a bizarre criminal case in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior district, local police retrieved stolen gold and silver ornaments worth nearly ₹12 lakh that had been hidden inside a residential sewage pipeline. Law enforcement authorities arrested the prime accused, identified as Taj Khan, alongside his accomplice, successfully recovering the entire stolen property from the Bhitarwar police station limits.
Jewellery Stolen from Grain Storage Container Hidden in Sewage Drain
The incident took place on 22 October at Ward Number 2 in Bhitarwar, targeting the home of resident Gyani Bhushan Pathak. The homeowner had tucked away the family's gold and silver jewellery inside a wheat storage container kept in one of the rooms to keep them safe. Burglars broke into the premises, discovered the ornaments inside the wheat container, and decamped with the valuables.
Following a complaint by the victim, the Bhitarwar police initiated an investigation into the burglary. Acting on intelligence and suspicion, officers detained Taj Khan and his associate for questioning. During sustained interrogation, both suspects confessed to committing the theft. They revealed that to evade police raids and search operations, they jammed the stolen jewellery valued at ₹12 lakh into the household sewage pipe.
Police personnel opened up the drainage line and successfully extracted the hidden ornaments. Both suspects remain in police custody as investigators question them to determine their potential involvement in other unsolved break-ins across the district.
Previous Bust Involving Over ₹94 Lakh Theft in Inderganj
This is not the first time Gwalior police have encountered organized theft operations employing unusual tactics. Earlier, police in the Inderganj area busted a high-tech burglary gang that systematically targeted unattended locked homes. On 5 May 2026, thieves broke into the locked residence of Ajay Shankar Mittal in Inderganj and stole massive amounts of valuables.
Following a formal complaint under relevant provisions of the BNS, police identified and apprehended two gang members. Law enforcement seized cash, gold, and silver items collectively valued at ₹94,25,000 from their possession. Investigators noted that the gang relied on advanced technical tools to dodge police detection and tracking networks.
Surge in High-Profile Theft Cases Across Madhya Pradesh
Unusual theft cases have drawn concern across Madhya Pradesh in recent weeks. Recently in the state capital Bhopal, thieves managed to cut down and steal a valuable sandalwood tree directly from the bungalow premises of IAS officer Vivek Porwal. In response to these recurring incidents, police departments have intensified night patrols and heightened surveillance on suspicious networks across urban and rural zones.
