Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 02:16pm on 03 Feb 2026,Tuesday India Global
India's Ministry of External Affairs strongly condemned the vandalism and theft of Mahatma Gandhi's statue from the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville, Melbourne. The 426-kg bronze statue, gifted by India's ICCR and inaugurated by former PM Scott Morrison in 2021, was stolen by three unidentified individuals on January 12 at approximately 12:50 am. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed India has raised the matter strongly with Australian authorities, demanding immediate action to recover the statue and prosecute the culprits. Victoria Police's Knox Crime Investigation Unit is investigating the theft, captured partially on CCTV showing a white van and balaclava-clad perpetrators. Authorities have alerted scrap metal dealers to report suspicious activity.
