CBI arrests absconding accused in 2002 Garhwa Fort idol theft and murder case
In a significant breakthrough after more than two decades, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Ramnarayan alias Hyder, the last remaining absconding accused in the 2002 Garhwa Fort idol theft, dacoity and murder case, on Saturday, July 4, 2026, in Fatehpur district, Uttar Pradesh. With this, all four absconding accused named in the CBI chargesheet have now been traced.
The crime dates back to the intervening night of April 21-22, 2002, at the protected Garhwa Fort, an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) site near Shankargarh in Prayagraj. A gang of 11 persons, allegedly led by Vijay Kumar Shukla, committed dacoity at the fort. They brutally murdered watchman Vinod Kumar Srivastava by assaulting and gagging him to death, overpowered another watchman, broke open the store room, and stole a valuable ancient stone idol of Lord Buddha. The idol broke into two pieces during removal.
The stolen artefact was a headless standing Buddha statue, officially recorded by the ASI as taken from Garhwa Fort in 2002. Investigation revealed that the pieces were transported in a vehicle and sold by Vijay Kumar Shukla to two persons for Rs 2.20 lakh. They were later shifted to a godown in Mahipalpur, Delhi, and allegedly exported abroad.
Garhwa Fort preserves the ruins of a significant Gupta-period temple complex. The site is also associated with early 5th-century stone inscriptions issued by the Gupta emperors Chandragupta II and Kumaragupta I. It also housed Buddhist sculptures alongside Vaishnavite iconography, including Dashavatara panels.
The sculpture was a rare example of Gupta Buddhist stone carving from the Prayagraj region. Its substantial size and weight explain why it fractured into two pieces during the theft.
The CBI took over the case from Police Station, Shankargarh, and registered it on September 9, 2003, as Crime No. 43/2002 under Sections 396 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code.
After a thorough investigation, the CBI filed a chargesheet on December 22, 2005, against ten accused persons. Four of them, identified as Vijay Kumar Shukla, Ravi Karan, Suraj Bhan and Ramnarayan @ Hyder, remained absconding for over two decades.
To apprehend them, the CBI constituted dedicated teams that developed local intelligence, cultivated sources and carried out sustained surveillance and follow-up operations.
These efforts led to the arrest of Suraj Bhan on May 22, 2026, and Ravi Karan on June 2, 2026. Vijay Kumar Shukla was traced inside District Jail, Chitrakoot, where he is lodged in another Uttar Pradesh Police case.
Steps were initiated before the competent court in Lucknow on June 16, 2026, to secure his production in the present case.
With the arrest of Ramnarayan @ Hyder, all absconding accused have now been traced. They will face trial in accordance with the law. The successful conclusion of this long-pending case underscores the CBI’s commitment to justice in crimes against India’s cultural heritage.
