[meteorite-list] Worthless Meteorites Stolen in India

From: JoshuaTreeMuseum <joshuatreemuseum_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 31 May 2011 22:34:08 -0400
Message-ID: <5A76406E3A3E40CD9E755C6A0FB21BD0_at_ET>

If they had no value, why would anyone want to steal them?

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http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-05-29/chennai/29596684_1_meteorites-museum-guards-chennai-museum


Police resume probe into theft of meteorite pieces
A Selvaraj, May 29, 2011, 02.35am IST
CHENNAI: The city police have decided to empty a century-old well behind the
Chennai Museum in Egmore as part of their search for five meteorites stolen
from there.

Police suspect that the meteorite pieces were dumped in the well by the
flustered thieves.

Five meteorites - each said to be over 100 years old - were reported missing
from the geological gallery of the museum since March 1. The geological
curator and in-charge of the gallery, Thulasi Brindha, and the officials of
the museum claimed that the meteorites had no value in the international
market, but were used for research.

As the police were busy with the assembly elections and the IPL matches, the
probe for "valueless" meteorites were put on the backburner. After the
regime change, the probe has gained momentum. "As part of the investigation,
policemen discovered a well located behind the museum. We suspect that due
to fear, the criminals may have dumped the stolen meteorites in it. The well
is full of slush; we have requested the museum authorities to pump out the
water and slush," a police officer said.


Investigations revealed that the five meteorite pieces stolen were original
and the one left behind in the display case was a "fake", used for study.
Museum authorities and the police suspect an inside hand in the theft.

Police sources said the museum guards were not sure when the meteorites went
missing. Once in every Friday, the cases are to be opened in front of the
curators and replaced in front of them. "We have questioned the security
guards of the geological gallery. We didn't get any lead from them," a
police officer said.

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A priest, a rabbi and a Lutheran minister walk into a bar and sit down. The
bartender comes over and says: "What is this, a joke?

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Phil Whitmer
Received on Tue 31 May 2011 10:34:08 PM PDT