Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Dec 29: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has told the Jammu and Kashmir High Court that Delhi Crime Branch has confiscated copy of a Holy Quran similar to that was stolen from SPS Museum Srinagar.
The CBI has revealed that during investigation it came to light that a Holy book namely ‘Quran Sharif’ with similar features was confiscated by the Crime Branch of Delhi. Accordingly, the authorities of National Archives of India New Delhi were approached and relevant information about the said seized “Quran Sharif” including its photographs have been collected.
Investigating Agency stated that efforts towards its comparison with the available description of Holy Quran, alleged to have been stolen from SPS museum is underway. “The report vide which the ‘Quran’ presently kept in National Archives of India had been declared as an antiquity has also been collected from Archeological Survey of India New Delhi and the same is under examination for the above said purpose”, CBI said in its report.
To ascertain the comparison of the said manuscript which is lying in National archives of India, Janpath, New Delhi with the stolen manuscript, CBI has approached the Director Museums, Srinagar with the request to depute Mir Jamshed Ahmad, the then curator, SPS Museum J&K to visit National archives of India, Janpath, New Delhi in this regard and help CBI in ascertaining as to whether the ‘Quran Sharif’ kept with National Archives of India, is the same which has been stolen from SPS Museum, Srinagar.
The CBI under the court direction has initiated investigation of theft of 400-year-old manuscript of Quran and examined various ex-employees and documents of the museum.
Court directed all the concerned authorities to cooperate with the CBI for investigation of the case and directed it to file fresh status report of investigation.
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as mentioned in the status report has taken various steps in tracing out the manuscript of Quran which bears the seal of Emperor Aurangzeb.
CBI in its status report submitted that a ‘Scene of Crime’ has been created to ascertain the possible ways of theft of Holy Quran and in this connection various employees of the SPS Museum during the relevant period have been examined.
“Nazir Ahmad Baroo-the then Museum Assistant, Shameema Bano-Attendant, Rifat Rouf- Chemical Assistant, Maheena Akhter-Junior Librarian, Abdul Aziz Bhat-the then incharge of Manuscript Gallery, Ghulam Mohiuddin Wani-Research Assistant, Zameer Hassan Darji-Steno-typist and Zahoor Ahmad Khan-photographer have been identified and examined intensively. Further certain necessary information and documents have been collected by the CBI from one Mushtaq Ahmad Beigh the present curator, of the museum and the same is under scrutiny”, CBI report read.
CBI further submitted that the IO file pertaining to FIR 106/2003 of Rajbagh Police Station Srinagar has been collected from the Crime Branch (CB) Srinagar and same is being scrutinized. Necessary discussions with the officers of CB associated with the investigation of this case have also been made. However, since all the case diaries and statements of witnesses examined by the CB J&K are in urdu language, its translation in English is underway.
CBI in order to rule out availability of subjected ‘Holy Quran’ at any other museum in India, said a list of all the museums in India is being completed from further action. Court after these steps taken by the CBI directed all the authorities to provide cooperation to the CBI for investigation of the case and sought fresh status report from the investigating agency about the investigation of the case before the next date.
The Case of theft of manuscript of Quran was transferred to CBI after Inspector General of Police made the statement that the investigation has not been carried fairly by Crime Branch and further added before the court that CBI can properly and effectively investigate the case as the said agency (CBI) besides having technical manpower is also possessed of resources and expertise to conduct the investigation in such type of cases as such he (IGP) suggested that the instant case should be transferred to CBI for investigation.
It is pleaded that apart from the manuscript of holy Quran which is believed to have been hand written by the Mughal Emperor, 84 coins among them 8 are of gold and 76 are of silver are also missing from the museum.
The court dealing with Public Interest Litigation filed by a Srinagar based social organization, Valley Citizen’s Council, seeking directions for the protection and conservation of artifacts, monuments and excavation sites in Kashmir.
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