Gold, Silver Worth ₹90 Lakh Recovered from Garbage Heap in Khargone; Minor Led Theft Gang

Khargone: In a sensational breakthrough, police in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone district recovered gold biscuits, silver bricks, jewellery and cash worth nearly ₹90 lakh from a garbage heap, where a group of thieves had hidden the loot after a series of burglaries. The alleged mastermind behind the thefts is a 16-year-old minor.

The recovery was made in Barwah town, where a gang had been targeting locked homes and shops. According to police, the stolen valuables were deliberately concealed in a pile of garbage to avoid detection, effectively turning the dump into a makeshift vault.

CCTV trail led police to suspects

Superintendent of Police Ravindra Verma said the investigation began after a major burglary at a vacant house and a separate cash theft at a building materials shop in the last week of January. A special team was formed, which scanned dozens of CCTV recordings over 48 hours, tracked suspicious movements, and activated informant networks.

During the probe, investigators matched the appearance of a suspect seen in CCTV footage with a minor from the Godi Patti area. He was detained and, during questioning, confessed to committing the thefts along with two accomplices — Harsh Prajapati (22) and Divyansh Prajapati (19).

Gold biscuits, silver bricks seized

Acting on their disclosures, police recovered around 300 grams of gold biscuits, approximately 370 grams of gold jewellery, five silver bricks weighing about one kilogram each, ₹28,550 in cash, and the scooter used in the crimes.

Police records indicate that the minor and one of the adult accused had prior cases of theft and assault registered against them. The accused told investigators they hid the valuables in garbage out of fear of being caught.

Reconnaissance planned by minor

SDOP Archana Rawat said the minor had conducted prior reconnaissance and gathered information about the targeted properties. Both thefts were carried out according to his planning.

Police have taken the accused into custody and are continuing further investigation into possible links to other unsolved theft cases. The unusual concealment of valuables in a garbage dump has drawn widespread attention in the area.