Santiniketan, West Bengal: The CBI has closed the probe into the sensational theft of Rabindranath Tagore's Nobel medallion and 47 other memorabilia in Santiniketan over five years back, a move that was greeted with dismay on Sunday.
The SP, Special Crime Branch of the CBI, Kolkata has informed the Bolpur sub-divisional court, which is monitoring the theft case, in a letter dated August 20 that the investigation was closed for want of any significant clues.
A copy of the letter has been sent to the Visva-Bharat university. The university Registrar Manimukut Mitra said it was clearly written in the letter which he had received on August 21 that the premier investigation agency is not proceeding further in the case of the theft in Rabindra Bhavan. Tagore won the Nobel prize for literature in 1913.
Five days after the theft came to light on March 25, 2004, the CBI formally started an investigation. But after three years of fruitless probe, the CBI closed the case on August 30, 2007 only to reopen it on September 18, 2008.
Trinamool Congress chief and Railways minister Mamata Banerjee voiced dismay at the CBI action saying she would talk to Union Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on the matter.
The Visva-Bharati Vice-Chancellor, Rajat Kanto Ray said he was very unhappy and so were the teaching staff as well as the students.
Some intellectuals including noted writer Nabaneeta Deb Sen also expressed their unhappiness. Sen said the CBI should not give up efforts to trace the treasure.
"I am feeling very bad. I am not happy on hearing that the CBI has appealed to court for closing the theft case. It is a shame that we have to remain alive with a replica of the Tagore's Nobel medallion", Mamata said in Kolkata.
Mamata told reporters she would urge Mukherjee to take up the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is also the Chancellor of the Visva-Bharati university, so that investigation by the central agency could be restarted.
"There can be a deep-rooted conspiracy behind the theft of the priceless treasures which should be unearthed and the culprits brought to book. I hope the CBI will move away from its decision," Mamata said.
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