Sports
oi-Ashish Rana
Former Indian hockey player MM Somaya has got back his precious Olympic gold medal after Bengaluru Police recovered all eight medals stolen from his house last month. The recovered medals include India’s 1980 Moscow Olympics gold, along with seven other medals from international tournaments.
Bengaluru Police recovered eight medals, including former hockey player M M Somaya’s 1980 Moscow Olympics gold, stolen from his New Thippasandra home last month; two men were arrested.
Police have arrested two men in connection with the theft. A third accused is still missing.
Thieves Took Olympic Gold Medal From Somaya’s House
The theft took place in late October when Somaya and his family were away in Kodagu. The thieves entered his house in New Thippasandra, east Bengaluru, and took cash, jewellery worth Rs 3.5 lakh and several medals.
The accused reportedly did not know the importance of the medals when they took them.
Police Find Two Medals At Rajajinagar Firm
Police have identified the arrested men as Manikya alias Manikanta, 31, and Bharat, 25. The police team caught them near Hagalahalli Cross in Ramanagara on Monday. A court has sent them to eight days of police custody.
Investigators found that the accused had sold one gold medal and one silver medal to a firm in Rajajinagar. Police recovered these two medals from the firm. They found the remaining six at one accused’s house in Hoskote.
Eight Medals From Olympics And Asian Games Recovered
The recovered collection includes Somaya’s 1980 Moscow Olympics gold medal, a silver from the 1982 Asian Games and a bronze from the 1986 Seoul Asian Games.
Police have also recovered a bronze medal from the 1982 Champions Trophy in Amsterdam, a gold from the Loiano tournament in Italy, participation medals from the 1984 Los Angeles and 1988 Seoul Olympics, and a silver medal marking the 300th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh.
MM Somaya Thanks Police For Recovery
Somaya thanked the police team for finding his medals and other belongings. He said, “I feel like I have won the medals all over again.”
Police have also found a Kodava dagger, a camera and an Olympic kit bag. They have seized the two-wheeler allegedly used in the crime.
Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said Manikanta has 33 criminal cases against him, including 25 in Karnataka and eight in Tamil Nadu. He is also an absconder in three cases and has six non-bailable warrants. Bharat has two criminal cases against him.
The commissioner announced a ₹1 lakh reward for the police team.
