A 50 million-year-old Gastropod Fossil, which was stolen from India International Trade fair (IITF) earlier this month, was recovered with the arrest of an individual.
According to the police, on November 21, Geological Survey of India reported the theft of a fossil from their stall in the Ministry of Mines pavilion located in hall number 4. Based on this, an e-FIR was filed and a case was registered at police station IITF under section 303(2) (theft) of BNS.
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Deputy Commissioner of Police (IITF) Sumit Jha said, the police team analysed more than 100 CCTV footage from the nearby pavilions and halls. Using technical analysis, the suspect was identified and was tracked down to Noida.
Jha added that the suspect identified as 49-year-old Manoj, resident of Sector-22, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, was nabbed from his home and the stolen artifact also recovered.
The fossil thief is working in a private firm and is a regular visitor to the Trade Fair with a keen interest in various art forms. On November 21, he stole the Gastropod Fossil from the Geological Survey of India stall with the intention of selling it at a high price, the DCP added.
A gastropod fossil is the preserved remains or impressions of ancient gastropods, a class of mollusks that includes snails, slugs, and their relatives. These fossils are valuable for understanding ancient ecosystems, evolution, and environmental changes over time.
