50 detained after theft in Shashi Tharoor's residence

New Delhi: The police said on Wednesday that former Union minister Shashi Tharoor’s Lodhi Estate residence was allegedly burgled in November when unidentified suspects took away several valuables, including antiques and a pair of Gandhi glasses gifted to him by the Prime Minister.

Since the incident on November 29, the police have rounded up and questioned over 50 people, including vagabonds, but no breakthrough has been achieved so far.

The police said that the incident happened in the early hours of November 29 at the Lutyens’ Zone house of the Lok Sabha member.

Mr Tharoor later approached the police with a complaint, alleging that the burglars climbed up the wall of his official residence to break in and took away several articles, including an antique Nataraja idol, 12 small Ganesha idols and 10 small Hanuman idols.

His office was also allegedly burgled with a pen drive and an internet dongle missing from there.

The award that he got for his involvement in the Swachh Bharat campaign by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also stolen, said the police.

While the incident has raised questions about the policing in an area which is considered high security, investigators said the incident could be the handiwork of vagabonds.
who roamed around in the area. Earlier, a dagger gifted to former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was also stolen from the Nehru Memorial museum, also in the New Delhi area.

 A case under Section 380 (Theft in dwelling house, whoever commits theft in any building, tent or vessel, which building, tent or vessel is used as a human dwelling) has been registered at the Tuglaq Road police station.