PTI

Stop sale of ''stolen'' medal: HP to auction home, police

Sat, Nov 28 03:06 PM

Shimla, Nov 28 (PTI) With just four days left before the "stolen" George Cross medal goes under the hammer in London, the Himachal Pradesh police in a bid to expedite efforts to stop the auction has contacted the Scotland Yard and also the auction house there. "We have sent an e-mail to the Dix Noonan Webb, the auction house where the medal is listed for sale on December 2 and also established contacts with the Scotland police to prevent the auction of the medal bestowed to Himachal-born Naik Kirpa Ram for bravery in 1946," Additional Director General of Police (CID) I D Bhandari told PTI today.

He said on their request, the CBI has already approached the Interpol to prevent the sale of stolen medal with an estimated price of 20,000 British pounds (Rs 50 lakh). In reply to auction house''s claim that they have paper evidence to establish that Brahmi Devi, widow of the late Kirpa Ram, had gifted the medal to one Kripal Singh, the ADG said we have intimated them (the auction house as well Scotland police) that it was a "forged" document and the medal was actually stolen from her house in Bilaspur district.

He said we have told them that the document claiming the medal was gifted does not carry either signature or thumb impression of Brahmi Devi (80) besides the widow is claiming that she does not know any Kripal Singh who claims to have received the medal as gift in return for his service to her. Meanwhile, the Himachal Pradesh High Court has issued notice to the Centre as well the state government seeking their reply on the "stolen" medal finding its way to an auction home at London.

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