Thieves cut through the grille to enter the Martyrs’ Well at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar on Monday evening and took away money left by visitors. The well has a sombre history as several people jumped into and died while trying to escape gunfire ordered by British Raj officer Reginald Dyer during the April 13, 1919, massacre.
Tourists throw money, articularly coins, into the grille-mesh-covered well in remembrance of the martyrs in this Martyrs Well. Though the police on Tuesday said they had detained one person, the exact amount of money taken from the well was not known.
Gaya Parshad, the watchman, told the police: “On Monday, after completing my duty, I was going towards my quarters when I spotted a rope hanging into the well. I immediately went on top of the well and found the mesh from the ventilator window broken. The thieves had taken away money.”
Police suspect the thieves may have come from the residential area around the historical monument.
“After identifying two persons, we have rounded up one of them. Though the exact amount stolen is still unclear, the man detained has been found with coins worth Rs 3,000-4,000,” said additional deputy commissioner of police Charanjit Singh.
Efforts were made to contact the management trust’s secretary, SK Mukherjee, to know how much money was stolen, and when was the last time that money was collected from the well; but calls went unanswered.
{{/usCountry}}Efforts were made to contact the management trust’s secretary, SK Mukherjee, to know how much money was stolen, and when was the last time that money was collected from the well; but calls went unanswered.
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