- A bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi was stolen from the Australian Indian Community Centre in Melbourne
- Three offenders used an angle grinder to cut the 426-kg statue from its foundation around 12:50 am Monday
- Victoria Police is investigating and warned scrap dealers to report suspicious sales
A bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi has been stolen from outside the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville, Melbourne. The statue was a gift from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), New Delhi, and held significant cultural, historical, and symbolic importance for the Indian community in Australia.
According to an Australia Today report, the theft allegedly occurred at approximately 12.50 am on Monday. Three unknown offenders used an angle grinder to cut the 426-kilogram statue from its foundation, police said.
Photos posted on social media showed that the statue was cut at its ankle, leaving just its feet behind.
Police said that officers from the Victoria Police Knox Crime Investigation Unit were investigating the case and warned scrap metal dealers to remain vigilant for anyone attempting to sell the bronze statue and to report any suspicious activity immediately.
According to Santosh Kumar, a committee member at the Australian Indian Community Charitable Trust, the crime was partially visible on the building's CCTV and was reported the next day.
"We are sorry to see the statue of a national leader is gone...a white van came with people covered in balaclavas...details have been passed on to police," he told Indian Link.
The statue was inaugurated on November 12, 2021, by former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and was first vandalised by unknown individuals within the first 24 hours.
Rise Of Anti-India Sentiments In Australia
The vandalism occurred amid a rise of anti-India sentiment in Australia, linked to Khalistan-related extremists who have previously targeted Indian diplomatic missions and community spaces like places of worship.
In July 2025, the Shree Swaminarayan Temple in Boronia, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, was vandalised with racist graffiti, triggering a police investigation and community outrage. The same slurs were also painted on two nearby Asian-run restaurants, according to Australia Today.
