After a 16-day intensive pursuit, the City Crime Branch successfully arrested four men involved in the theft of the historic copper-brass finial and decorative leaf from the main mausoleum of the Sheikh Ahmed “Ganj Baksh” Khattu tomb, famously known as Sarkhej Roza in Ahmedabad. The monument, protected by the Archaeological Survey of India, holds significant historical value and contributed to Ahmedabad’s designation as a Heritage City.
The arrested suspects—Suresh Dantani (40), Gopal Dantani (30), Munna alias Jayanti Dantani (23), and Vishnu Dantani (22)—all hail from Patan. Meanwhile, four other gang members, including a woman, remain on the run: Dinesh Dantani of Kadi, Kirshore Dantani of Mahemdabad, Jali Dantani of Nandasan, and Dasu Dantani of Patan.
DCP Ajit Rajian stated, “We formed a special team to apprehend the culprits. On June 27, the gang attempted to pull the finial, mistakenly believing it was made of gold. However, the pull broke the artefact, forcing them to flee. Later, realizing it was a copper-brass piece and damaged, they failed to find buyers in the antiques market.”
Inspector MS Salunke, leading the special team, said the police reviewed CCTV footage extensively and conducted drone surveillance in the area before making the arrests. The stolen finial is a 150-year-old artefact, and both the finial and decorative leaf were recovered, albeit broken.
The police continue their efforts to locate the remaining suspects involved in this heritage crime.
