Thiruvananthapuram, February 13 Two ivory pieces worth over Rs 2 crore went missing from a military station at Pangod here, and police have launched an investigation into the incident, officials said on Friday.
The Poojappura police have registered a case and taken 17 people into custody, they said.
According to the FIR registered based on a complaint by an officer of the Indian Army's Madras Regiment, the two ivory pieces, worth Rs 2 crore, kept at the officers' mess, were found stolen.
The FIR stated that a DJ party took place between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, and it is suspected that someone who arrived for the event was involved in the theft.
The case has been registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for house trespass and theft of government property.
Based on information provided by officials at the military camp regarding outsiders who entered the premises as part of the DJ party, 17 persons from various parts of Thiruvananthapuram were taken into custody on Thursday.
Police on Thursday also registered a separate case to keep the suspects in preventive detention as part of the investigation, officials said.
Police officials at the Poojappura police station said that interrogation of those detained is underway, and a detailed investigation is required to recover the missing ivory.
Officials said that the ivory had been in the military camp since it began operations several decades ago.