Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

The police in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh arrested one Vinod Yadav, a 49-year-old man from Ahima village in Bihar, who tried to pull off the biggest ever theft from a government museum in India, stealing artefacts worth up to $1,786,041 (Rs 15 crore) from the State Museum in Bhopal.

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Currently, Yadav is in the hospital with a fractured leg and a possible broken spine after falling from a 12-foot high wall while trying to escape.

On Tuesday morning, Sub-Inspector Ghumendra Singh and his team were notified of the break-in at the museum. They found that the locks of two rooms, which contained valuable gold and silver artifacts, had been broken.

The stolen items included 98 ancient coins dating back to the Gupta dynasty and Mughal Empire, 75 silver coins, 38 copper coins, a gold medal, 12 mixed metal medals, and other valuable artefacts from the royal gallery, all of which were taken back.

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The suspect, Yadav, who claims to be a farmer, said that he had visited the museum six months ago while accompanying a NEET examinee to the city.

Yadav also claimed that he attempted the theft so that he could give better education to his children. The goods Yadav had stolen are worth about $1,786,041 (Rs 15 crore), said officials.

During the investigation, police found that Yadav had come well-prepared for the theft. He was armed with tools to break the showcases, pry open doors, and scale walls.

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Yadav had entered the museum with a ticket on Sunday evening and managed to hide inside until the museum closed. 

Since the museum remained closed on Monday, Yadav used the opportunity to break into the two gallery rooms and steal the valuables. When the museum reopened at 10.30 am on Tuesday, the staff saw shattered glass and valuables missing.

During the search operation, Yadav was found injured as he could not climb the 25-foot wall. He told the police that he had entered the museum on Sunday afternoon and hid under the stairs. After closing time, he tried to escape with the artefacts but failed to do so.

All safety measures were taken by the staff as per the standard procedure. The police set up barricades at all exit points.

The police are also trying to find out if he had any accomplices. A detailed check of the inventory is being done to see if any precious items are still missing or not.

(With inputs from agencies)