Police recover 410 gms of gold

Police recover 410 gms of gold
ABHIJIT SATHE

NAGPUR, MARCH 30: When Mary Magnus left Kanyakumari to join her husband, a Major with the Indian Army, at Ambala in Haryana, she took along her costly sarees, gold ornaments and a wrist watch which was presented on her birthday by her husband. But everything was stolen aboard the Navyug Express, in which she was travelling from Kanyakumari to Delhi on July 7, 1999.

Eight months later on Tuesday, when Mary got to see her ornaments and belongings once again, she broke into tears because she had almost given up hope of getting them back. Mary's ornaments are among the 410 grams gold recovered by the Government Railway Police (GRP) from a four-member gang, which was operating aboard the Navyug Express and Swarnajayanti Express, indulging in thefts.

Mary and her husband Major Fitzgerald Amritharaj were in the city on Thursday to get their valuables back after the GRP informed them of the seizure. ``I have no words to explain how I feel,'' Mary said in the office of Superintendent of Police, Vineet Agrawal, where she and her husband called on Agrawal to thank him.

Said SP Vineet Agrawal, ``The couple must have phoned me at least ten times in the past eight months, and each time I had to give them a negative answer'' and ``even my wife started questioning me about the case,''he added in a lighter vein.

It all happened at the time of Kargil episode. Major Amritharaj, who was on vacation to his native place in Kanyakumari, was asked to immediately join duties. A works manager in the 452 Armoured Troops Workshop, Major Amritharaj was asked to report at Hissar in Haryana to leave for Kargil. He proceeded to Ambala immediately, while asking his wife and mother to reach Ambala soon.

Mary and her mother in-law boarded the Navyug Express on July 6 for Delhi and it was between Ballarshah and Nagpur when they noticed that their suitcase was stolen. It was three in the morning when the train reached Nagpur. Initially though, Mary's mother in-law and Mary were not inclined to report the matter to police. However later, both disembarked from the train and reported the theft to the GRP.

However, Mary did not expect much from the outcome of the investigations. The duo boarded the next train to reach Delhi where her husband was waiting for her. However, a week back, they were taken by surprise when the GRP called then to identify the valuables. ``This was something surprising for us. It has reposed our faith in police,''the Major remarked.