Saturday, October 19, 2013

UNNAO TREASURE HUNT



 

Times of India ( Hyderabad edition of Oct.19, 2013 ) has a front page headline, “big dig: Peepli live in Unnao as Sarkar chases a golden dream” with sub headline “ ASI begins hunt for 1000 tonnes buried treasure”, reported by Shailvee Sharda.
Hunt is on following a dream of swamy Shobhan Sarkar. ASI’s excavation strategy is as per Sarkar’s dream.

 The same paper reveals that there is a PIL in SC for deputing a military officer and a team to supervise the excavation. Page 13 says, ‘GSI finds metallic contents’. And there is an editorial too. E-paper has four videos.

Deccan Chronicle too has reported. Modi is reported to have mocked UPA as ASI digs for seer ‘dream’ gold. He is reported to have said, “The whole world is mocking us. Some body dreamt and govt. has started excavation….” he is right.

There was a similar treasure hunt in Hyderabad in Feb. 2012 and was widely reported.
Hunt was opposite the A P Secretariat and for treasure worth  Rs 20,000 crores.
Archaeology Department received a sworn affidavit from nine prominent citizens led by Mr T.B. Raju, chief manager (personnel), Coal India Limited.

They said they got the information about two months ago but couldn’t muster enough courage to reveal it to officials concerned fearing the mafia.
Based on the affidavit, a team of officials from the Archaeology Department inspected the site on Saturday evening and decided to start excavating on Sunday morning in the presence of a mason, who will serve as a guide.
Sources said the mason was the first person to have gone inside the tunnel where he saw two almirahs full of jewels and precious stones..

Incidentally, the prominent citizens who had petitioned the Archaeology Department, have demanded that they be given their share — one-fifth of the treasure if it is found — under the Treasure Trove Act 1878. This was reported in Deccan Chronicle on 19th Feb.2012

The mega 'treasure hunt', which the archaeology department took up on Saturday, failed to yield any result till late on Sunday evening. Even after 28 hours of digging, the department could not find even a hint of treasure. The much enthused department officials have, however, decided to go ahead with the exploration as according to them, it is "necessary to ascertain facts behind the claim". Meanwhile, D S Raju, one of the petitioners, said that he had seen the treasure and is hopeful to find it. This was the report of Times of India of 20thFeb.2012

My questions then were:
Questions that come mind:
What happened to the masion who saw two almirahs full of jewels? Should he not be interrogated?
Mr. D S Raju had said he had seen the treasure and was hopeful to find it. If he saw he should show. Why he is not able to find the location now?
It is possible that the treasure is already with them.
Are officials of archaeology department so naïve that they started the treasure hunt without resistivity and magnetic survey?
I have my own doubts.

No comments: