15 more ancient gold coins seized from labourer

The crime branch recovered the latest 15 coins from Nijappa Santappa Talkeri (35), a worker from Karnataka. Talkeri, who was arrested, was later released on bail by a local court.

On November 7, crime branch sleuths had arrested three labourers who found a copper vessel filled with ancient gold coins at the construction site of a swimming pool of the Pune Municipal Corporation-run N V Gadgil School. The labourers sold half of the coins to a jeweller and were trying to flee with the rest when police nabbed them. The police had then recovered 847 gold coins weighing 3.175 kg worth Rs 42 lakh from the accused. They were arrested under sections of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.

Investigations reveal that Khadki jeweller Surajbhan Agarwal had assured to pay Rs 4 lakh and some gold jewellery to the labourers against the antique gold coins. The 15 coins recovered on Thursday weigh 51.4 gram and are worth Rs 54,000.

Meanwhile, police are worried about the safety of the coins as they are kept along with stolen material recovered from thieves and robbers arrested in various crimes. “We have informed the district collector about the coins, as laws stipulate,” said police inspector Ram Jadhav of the crime branch. “We have also informed the Archaeological Survey of India authorities. We have kept the coins safe. But many history enthusiasts have approached us to see it. So we don’t want the coins to remain with us for long. ASI authorities say their department is authorised to keep the coins. We will hand over the coins to the authorities concerned as per the orders of district collector,” he said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), Anil Kumbhare, said most of the coins carry the mark of a saint referred to as protector of Venice on one side and infant Jesus on the other. These are Roman coins from the medieval period. The remaining coins are asharfis or muhars having Urdu and Persian inscriptions and were used during Akbar’s regime.