Melbourne: A 420kg bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi has been
stolen from the Australian Indian Community Centre.
This bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi was stolen from outside
the Australian Indian Community Centre in Melbourne, Australia. The statue was
gifted by ICCR, New Delhi, and had historical, cultural, and symbolic
significance for the Indian community.
According to police, the theft took place at around 12.50am
on Monday night, when three unidentified suspects used an angle grinder to cut
the 426kg statue from its base. Photos posted on social media show only the
feet of the statue remaining.
Officers from Victoria Police’s Knox Crime Investigation
Unit are investigating the incident and have warned local scrap metal dealers
to report any suspicious activity to police immediately.
According to Santosh Kumar, a committee member of the
Australian Indian Community Charitable Trust, the incident was partially
captured on CCTV in the building and reported the next day. The statue was
unveiled by former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on 12 November
2021.
Police and community leaders have linked the theft to rising
anti-India sentiment, particularly after attacks on Indian diplomatic missions
and community centres by Khalistan-linked extremists.
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