MAHARAJAH’S JEWELS

Taranaki Daily News, 12 January 1932, Page 9

MAHARAJAH’S JEWELS

FORTY PIECES WORTH £lO,OOO. INDIAN POTENTATE’S LOSS. ' 1 Forty pieces of jewellery, valued roughly at £lO,OOO, and belonging to the voung Maharajadhiraja of Darbhanga, a British Indian delegate to the Round Table Conference, vanished in London. Scotland Yard detectives, headed by Superintendent Charles Cooper, one of the Big Five, were convinced that the jewellery disappeared from the Maharajah’s suite at the Savoy Hotel. The Maharajah dined out, and on his return he reported the loss of a small piece of jewellery, which, he believed, had been lost in the street.

He occupied a suite of 12 rooms on what is known as the millionaires’ floor of the hotel, and members of his staff and a retinue of servants were always round and about. It was not until the middle of the following day that the actual robbery ■was discovered.

Members of his personal staff who went to prepare his wardrobe in preparation for his visit to the Royal Tea Party at Buckingham Palace found that many of his gold and diamond studs and cuff links were missing. The cases were empty. This led to an extensive search of the whole of the Maharajah's wardrobe and the ultimate calling in of Scotland Yard.

The police theory was that a -walkin thief had carried out a quick visit and lifted the jewellery while the servants in the Maharajah’s suite were at a meal. 1

The Maharajadhiraja, in an interview, said: “I cannot say where the jewels disappeared; it is a mystery to me. Their value would be about £lO,OOO. They were not my State jewels, but were purely my personal possessions and consisted of a varied assortment of precious stones.” Finger-print experts were summoned, and impressions revealed by the process of dusting black and white powder on certain articles of furniture were photographed. Among the missing articles are gold and diamond cuff links, studs, jewelled necklets, rings, watches, tiepins and diamond decorations used at various State and ceremonial functions. Only 24 years of age, the Maharajadhiraja of Darbhanga succeeded his father as head of the Maithil Brahmans in India in 1929. His full title is the •Maharajadhiraja Kameshwar Prasad Singh of Darbhanga. He is the biggest landholder in Bihar and Orissa. He was a delegate to the India Round Table Conference in 1930. He arrived in September to attend the last conference. . , , , Durimr his visit to England last year the Maharajah celebrated his 23rd birthday at a dinner at the Savoy Hotel. It was one of the most gorgeous and spectacular functions ever held in London. More than 200 guests were present. Around the necks of the principal quests the host placed wonderful garlands of gold wrought by skilled ciaftsmen in India. ' At a dinner party recently the buttons on his coat were studded with diamonds, and a magnificent stone glittered in each ear. At gatherings in connection with the Round Table Conference the Maharajah has made a striking figure in his gorgeous regalia and headdress, sparkling with gems, and with many jewelled rings on his fingers.