"Kleptomaniac" Gurgaon Millionaire Caught Stealing Exhibit From Museum

When apprehended by police, Uday Ratra tried to escape from the backdoor with the replica

When an extremely precious replica of the ancient Olduvai Handaxe went missing from the National Museum in Delhi, the authorities weren't expecting it to be found at the home of a millionaire in Gurgaon.

The replica was stolen on June 24. The museum authorities had informed the police on Friday, who sifted through the CCTV footage at the museum.

In the footage, 53-year-old Uday Ratra was seen leaving the museum with the replica, police said.

Uday Ratra was arrested from his home late Friday night, but not without drama. IPS officer Madhur Verma tweeted the CCTV footage:

That's how, the 'Olduvai Handaxe' theft from National Museum got detected and accused identified. CCTV cameras are of great help both in crime prevention and crime detection. pic.twitter.com/xwkPl9hyFA

- Madhur Verma (@IPSMadhurVerma) July 14, 2018

The police in a statement say when they reached Uday Ratra's home, he refused to let them in and asked them to come back the next morning. About eight or ten dogs present in the house kept barking at the police team.

The cops hid around the house, and soon Uday Ratra tried to quietly escape from the backdoor with the replica of the Olduvai Handaxe, said to be the first great invention of mankind about 1.5 million years ago.

He was arrested, but refused to go down without a fight. He even instructed his dogs to attack the police team, but was taken away swiftly by the cops, said a press statement issued by Deputy Commissioner Madhur Verma.

'Olduvai Handaxe' replica got stolen from National Museum. Team of Police station South Avenue, New Delhi arrested the accused Uday Ratra and recovered the stolen Olduvai Handaxe from his possession.

Olduvai Handaxe is the first great invention of mankind 1.5 million years ago. pic.twitter.com/TyUgqd40fO

- Madhur Verma (@IPSMadhurVerma) July 14, 2018

This is not Uday Ratra's first encounter with trouble. In 2006, he was deported to India from the UK, where he spent close to 20 years.

A decade later, he was arrested for allegedly trying to enter a five-star hotel in Sarojini Nagar with a blade while the then US secretary of state John Kerry was staying there.

He was also arrested for stealing imported liquor from a store the same year, police said.

His father had served the Coast Guard as an inspector general. An officer said that it is suspected that Uday Ratra is a kleptomaniac.

With inputs from PTI