Mahatama Gandhi's bronze statue cut into pieces using angle grinder, then stolen in Melbourne; pics surface

Mahatama Gandhi's statue cut into pieces in Melbourne

• Bronze Gandhi statue stolen from Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville
• Police believe three offenders used an angle grinder to cut and steal the statue
• The statue was vandalized shortly after its November 2021 inauguration.

Did our AI summary help?

A bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi installed at the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville has been stolen, triggering a police investigation and raising concerns within Melbourne’s Indian Australian community.

The statue, gifted by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, New Delhi, was inaugurated on November 12, 2021, by former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. It is considered to hold significant cultural, historical and symbolic value for the community.

Victoria Police said on Monday that officers from the Knox Crime Investigation Unit are probing the theft, which is believed to have taken place in the early hours of January 12.

In a statement to The Australia Today, police said they believe three unidentified offenders stole the statue from the charity premises on Kingsley Close, Rowville, at around 12.50 am.

“Officers have been told the offenders used an angle grinder to cut the statue,” the statement said.

Police said the investigation is ongoing and have cautioned scrap metal dealers to be alert for anyone attempting to sell the bronze statue. They have asked that any suspicious activity be reported immediately.

The theft has brought back memories of an earlier incident involving the same statue. Within 24 hours of its inauguration in November 2021, the Gandhi statue was vandalised by unknown individuals, an act that drew widespread condemnation in both Australia and India.

The report said that incident was reported to police and investigated, though no public arrests were announced. The vandalism occurred during a period of heightened tension linked to Khalistan related extremist activity, which has previously targeted Indian diplomatic missions, community spaces and symbols associated with India in several Western countries.

In past incidents in Australia and abroad, supporters of Khalistan have attempted to damage or deface statues of Mahatma Gandhi, treating them as symbolic targets despite his global standing as an icon of non violence.