Valuables missing from Scindia's Gwalior palace

Bhopal, May 20 (IANS) Thieves struck at the highly fortified Jai Vilas Palace of Gwalior's erstwhile ruling family and took away costly silverware and antiques from the drawing room of the late Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia, police said Wednesday.

Police have lodged two reports, filed separately by Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindia and his aunt and BJP MP Yashodhara Raje Scindia, about the theft in the eastern portion of the palace where Vijayraje used to live and where her belongings are locked.

Yashodhara, in her written complaint through her personal secretary Tuesday night, said silverware and antiques worth lakhs of rupees were missing from the drawing room of her late mother Vijayraje.

Jyotiraditya lodged a similar report Wednesday.

There is a dispute in the Scindia family over the ownership of Vijayraje's assets. Several cases related to these disputes associated with the palace and trust's property are pending in different courts.

'We would ascertain who controlled the portion where the theft took place and investigate the matter,' additional superintendent of police Manohar Verma said.