Centre may help in Nobel theft probe

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee on Friday said Centre's help might be sought in the probe into the theft of Rabindranath Nath Tagore's Nobel prize.

The state government has already order a CID inquiry into the burglary at Rabindra Bhavan museum in Santiniketan.

A team of 16 intelligence officials, along with fingerprint experts, is conducting the probe at Santiniketan.

Police sleuths, meanwhile, are interrogating the security staff at the Uttarayan complex housing the Rabindra Bhavan museum, detained after the burglary came to light.

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Priceless memorabilia of the poet and his family, including the Nobel medallion and personal effects, besides gifts of gold and silver, were burgled from the museum, and it was detected yesterday morning.

Replying to reporters' queries at Writers' Buildings in Kolkata, Bhattacharjee said that investigations were going on but details could not be divulged at this stage.

He said that the state government might seek Centre's assistance, if required, but not at the moment.

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani telephoned the chief minister enquiring about the burglary, promising Centre's assistance in the inquiry process.

Meanwhile, university sources said in Santiniketan that a team of central intelligence officials might arrive shortly.