Mystery of missing Alam from Hyderabad’s Aza Khana Zehra remains unsolved after 23 years

More than two decades after a sacred Alam disappeared from Aza Khana Zehra in Hyderabad’s Darulshifa, the mystery remains unsolved. Despite investigations spanning multiple states and foreign countries, police failed to trace the relic and eventually closed the case.

Hyderabad: Even after more than two decades, the mysterious disappearance of a historically and religiously significant Alam (standard) from the Aza Khana Zehra in Darulshifa remains unresolved, continuing to puzzle both the authorities and the local community.

It was on April 11, 2003, when unidentified persons allegedly entered the historic Aza Khana Zehra, Ashoorkhana, situated on Darulshifa main road in the Old City, and took away the holy standard. The shrine was built in memory of Nizam VII Mir Osman Ali Khan’s mother, Amtul Zehra Begum, also known as Madar-e-Deccan (Mother of Deccan).

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The missing Alam, approximately three feet in length, was reportedly crafted in 1956 under the patronage of Nizam VII and dedicated in the name of Imam-e-Hussain. The sacred standard was believed to be made of an alloy of five metals, including gold and silver, and was also adorned with a precious gem-studded necklace, making it a relic of immense religious and historical value.

The theft of the standard came to light the next morning when the caretaker discovered the Alam missing and immediately alerted the managing committee. As tempers ran high, following theft at an important religious place, the management committee later installed a second set of the Alam, which had reportedly been preserved in a secure safe. The replacement installation was carried out in the presence of then Additional Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad, A K Khan.

The Shia Youth Conference president Syed Hamed Hussain Jaffery stated that the Nizam had originally commissioned two sets of the Alam, and the second was subsequently installed after the theft of the first and the regular rituals resumed.

Following a public outcry and demands for early detection of the case from various quarters, the police constituted multiple teams from the Central Crime Station, Commissioner’s Task Force, and local police units. Police sources said that extensive investigations were carried out across several states and even extended to three foreign countries in an effort to trace the stolen relic, but without success.

Initial leads reportedly pointed towards the involvement of a local electrician and his associate, who were taken into custody for questioning. However, despite follow-up investigations and collection of evidence, the case failed to reach a conclusive breakthrough.

In 2021, reports surfaced claiming that the missing Alam had been located in a museum in Australia, prompting demands from sections of the Shia community for its repatriation. However, it was later clarified that the artifact in question was not the stolen Alam from Aza Khana Zehra, but another relic belonging to the Qutb Shahi era. After failing to gather any clues, the police had closed the case citing ‘lack of evidence’.

A handful of police officers, who had supervised and played an active role in the investigation of the case, said that several angles were probed and many people were questioned in the case. However, they could not get success, hence the case might have been closed. Nevertheless, they indicated that the investigation could be revived if credible and actionable information is brought forward through proper legal procedure.