Iconic bedchamber sword of Tipu Sultan, formerly owned by Vijay Mallya, auctioned for Rs 145 crore
London: The renowned bedchamber sword of Tipu Sultan, which was auctioned by Bonhams in London on Tuesday, had an intriguing past. It was revealed that the sword was once owned by Vijay Mallya, the fugitive liquor baron. During a 2018 hearing at the London High Court, Mallya's lawyer claimed to be unaware of the sword's whereabouts, reported News 9.
The historical significance of the sword was confirmed by researcher and historian Nidhin Olikara, who stated, "This is the very same sword that Vijay Mallya had acquired in 2004.
According to the report, Mallya purchased it for a price of 1.5 crore rupees, and yesterday, the sword was auctioned for a staggering 145 crores." In 2016, a consortium of 13 Indian banks had attempted to prevent the London High Court from lifting a freeze order on Mallya's global assets. In the same year, Mallya had mentioned that he had given away the sword due to the ill fortune it had brought to his family.
When News9 contacted Bonhams, the UK-based auction house, to inquire about the sword's previous owners. However, the auction house declined to provide any information regarding the past or present owner, citing their privacy policy. Enrica Medugno, Sale Coordinator at Bonhams, stated, "We are not authorized to disclose the identity of our sellers and buyers."
Both the sword purchased by Vijay Mallya in 2004 and the one recently auctioned share similar inscriptions. The inscription on the recently auctioned Tipu Sultan sword reads:
"THE SWORD OF TIPPOO SULTAUN (SOURCE: BONHAMS) Found in his Bed Chamber after SERINGAPATAM was taken by Storm 4th May 1799 and Presented by the ARMY to MAJOR GENERAL BAIRD… as a token of their high opinion of his Courage and Conduct in the Assault which he Commanded, and in which TIPPOO SULTAUN was slain." The spine of the sword bears the inscription "shamshir-e malik'' or "The sword of the king," while the hilt is engraved with "ya allah! ya nasir! ya fattah! ya nasir! ya mu'in! ya zahir!" which translates to "O Allah!, O the Helper! O the Ever-opener! O the Aider! O The Helper! O The Evident!".
The sword itself was looted from Tipu Sultan's palace by troops of the East India Company after the fall of Seringapatam, where the valiant Tiger of Mysore met his demise in battle. Over the years, the sword has changed hands multiple times before finding its way to Vijay Mallya.
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Ex-Army officer assaulted, robbed at gunpoint by woman he met through matrimonial website
Mathura(UP), Apr 5 (PTI): A retired Army colonel from Haryana has filed a police complaint here, alleging that he was held hostage, assaulted, looted and forced to participate in an "obscene video" at gunpoint with a woman he met through a matrimonial website, police said on Saturday.
The woman from Mathura, who was allegedly in on the plan to rob him, was working with other accomplices, the ex-armyman said in his complaint filed on Thursday.
According to Barsana Station House Officer (SHO) Raj Kamal Singh, Colonel Rajneesh Soni (retired), a resident of Gurugram, reported that he was contacted by a woman from Barsana on a matrimonial website in January. The woman allegedly agreed to marry him, and they began communicating.
The woman allegedly persuaded the colonel to visit Barsana on January 25, requesting that he visit the Radharani temple. When he arrived, she arranged for his stay at a guest house and took him on a tour of the area, including a visit to the temple, the complainant said.
After returning to the guest house, the woman and her accomplices allegedly told the colonel that her brother had been involved in an accident and they needed to leave immediately. They then led him to a waiting car.
"Once outside the town limits, the colonel alleges that he was attacked by the occupants of the car. They seized his phone, physically assaulted him, and forced him to contact relatives and friends to transfer money," the SHO said.
"He was then taken back to the guest house, where he was allegedly forced to participate in obscene videos and photographs at gunpoint. He was threatened that the videos would be made public if he reported the incident," the officer said.
The colonel has alleged that his purse, bag, gold chain, debit card and Rs. 12,000 in cash were stolen from the guest house.
After an unsuccessful attempt at locating the perpetrators himself, the colonel finally reported the incident to the Barsana police two days ago, he said.
"A case has been registered under relevant sections of the BNS and all facts are being investigated. Further action will be taken as per facts found in the investigation," the SHO said.
