Theft was discovered on Monday, but thieves are believed to have broken into Jamnagar palace days back.
The cricket bat of KS Ranjitsinhji, a Picasso painting and antiques worth Rs5 crore have been stolen from the Jamnagar palace. The exact date of the theft is unclear; the police complaint states that it might have taken place in the past month and a half.
The theft was discovered on Monday by palace security. Most of the stolen articles belonged to Ranjitsinhji, after whom the Ranji Trophy is named. Among them are precious paintings, including one believed to be a Rembrandt.
“We do not know exactly how many or what valuables have been stolen, but many antique pieces are missing from the bungalow,” said Krishnasinh Jadeja, palace caretaker and a complainant. He said the thieves had broken the doors and windows of the palace to escape. “They broke the locks in such a manner that even the security guards did not notice.”
He said that as the palace is huge, the current Jamsaheb, Shatrushalyasinhji Jadeja, 70, stays at a nearby bungalow when he is in town. Shatrushalyasinhji, the great-grandson of Ranjitsinhji, lives in Mumbai and is on his way to Jamnagar.
The lawyer of the erstwhile royal family, Shailesh Mehta, told DNA that three glass windows of the palace are completely broken; apart from committing theft, the thieves also ransacked the palace.
Sources close to the family said the late maharani of Jamnagar, Gulab Kunvarba, was an avid art collector. “She showed great discernment while buying paintings during her trips overseas,” a source said. “She is believed to have bought works of the great Dutch painter, Rembrandt, too.”
The palace premises have been sealed and police investigations are on.
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