Nizam Museum theft: Mir Osman's kin demands more cover

HYDERABAD: Nawab Najaf Ali Khan, the grandson of the Late Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur Nizam VII, whose antique artefacts were stolen by two men on Sunday evening, wrote to the Hyderabad Police and the chairman of Nizam’s Jubilee Pavilion Trust, asking the cops to beef up security in the premises and demanded that the chairman take moral responsibility by terminating the incompetent trustees as they failed to take proper precautionary measures to “safeguard my grandfather’s gifts”.

Speaking to this newspaper, he said that there was a big question mark over the management administering the museum “as their negligence and poor security arrangements gave easy access to the crooks”. “Our grandfather’s souvenirs were presented by other rulers, showcasing the harmony that the late H.E.H Nizam VII shared with other monarchs. The mementos were presented to him by dignitaries on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1936. Apart from this, several more priceless items were placed at the museum.

“Our sentiments are attached to the stolen items and we are very upset with the whole issue. We have also personally requested the police commissioner, Anjani Kumar, to recover the objects which are unique and priceless and are of such historical importance.”  

He added that the chairman should take equal responsibility for the loss. “We also demand the immediate resignation of the trustees and the secretary for their incompetence” he added. What also baffles him is that the museum was not secure enough. “Why wasn’t a top class security system installed in the premises and why did they not appoint highly trained security staff when this museum housed such priceless pieces of history?”, the grandson demanded.