Bhopal: man robs brother-in-law's baraat; thieves steal groom's gifts

Not inviting his son-in-law to his son's wedding proved costly for Gyan Singh of Ucher village outside Bhopal city, Madhya Pradesh.

According to the police, Arjun Singh's baraat was on the way to Khedawat village when it halted at Runaha bus station under Nazirabad police station for snacks. They had barely begun eating when Arjun's brother-in-law Bhura "arrived at the scene with several accomplices and robbed several baraatis", said a police officer at Nazirabad.

"Around 50 people were part of the baraat, including women and children. At least three of them were injured in the attack," the officer added. The groom, however, "managed to escape from the spot in another vehicle".

Gyan said he had not invited his son-in-law "because he is notorious for his quarrelsome nature and has created trouble at several marriage ceremonies in the past".

The police have registered a case against Bhura and his accomplices.

Apparently, Upendra Sharma, 23, of Bilkhiriya, Bhopal, was so completely immersed in his marriage ceremony, he let his wedding gifts be stolen from right under his nose.

The incident occured on 22 April. According to the Bhopal police, Upendra's wedding took place at Kailash Garden in Patel Nagar. "The guests came with all kinds of gifts, mostly sealed in envelopes. The task of keeping a record of the gifts was given to Upendra's friends Avneesh and Dinesh," said a police officer.

At around midnight, the two friends went for dinner, leaving the pile of gifts near the bridegroom. "But they were all gone within a span of five minutes," the officer said.

The family searched the venue but to no avail. They filed a police complaint the next day.

According to the police's report, "over 175 envelopes were stolen from the venue. But the total value of gifts could not be ascertained". CCTV footage of the wedding shows some children playing near the stage where Upendra was sitting, "but nobody could be seen stealing the gifts".

Reportedly, there have been a number of thefts at weddings ceremonies in Bilkhiriya in the recent past, but the police have failed to catch the culprits.

The Indian Veterinary Research Institute is working to establish the country's second wildlife forensic lab. And it would be known as Frozen Zoo.

The lab would "play an crucial role in curbing the poaching of near extinct wildlife species in the country", the IVRI claims. Currently, forensic samples of poached animals are tested at the Laboratory For Conservation Of Endangered Species, or LACONS, in Hyderabad.

Scientists at the IVRI are also collecting DNA, sperm-egg and tissue samples of endangered species from all over the country. These would be preserved at the Frozen Zoo in liquid nitrogen for further research.

As of now, there are facilities available only to test viscera and bone samples seized from poachers. It takes longer to test these samples. However, the task would be expedited once the Frozen Zoo is functional.