Former Indian hockey captain MM Somaya's gold medal from the 1980 Moscow Olympics was among four international sporting medals stolen during a burglary at his Bengaluru residence, police said on Wednesday. The theft occurred while the 67-year-old Olympian and his family were visiting their native place in Kodagu.
The burglars broke into Somaya's house at HAL 3rd Stage in New Thippasandra, under the Indiranagar police station limits, in the early hours of October 28. Apart from the historic Olympic gold medal, they stole three other international medals, gold jewellery, silver articles and Rs 30,000 in cash.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), the total value of the stolen property has been estimated at Rs 3.53 lakh. However, the sporting medals carry historical and sentimental significance far beyond their monetary value.
๐ง๐๐ผ ๐๐๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐๐ง๐ฉ
Police said Somaya had left Bengaluru with his family on October 25. The burglary came to light around 7.15 am on October 28 when a neighbour noticed that the front door of the residence was open and alerted him.
CCTV footage obtained from a neighbouring house showed two unidentified men forcing their way into the residence at approximately 2.34 am.
According to the police complaint, one suspect was wearing a blue shirt, while the other was dressed in red. Investigators believe the two entered the house after breaking open the front door and escaped with the valuables.
The footage is being examined as part of efforts to identify and trace the suspects.
๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ต๐ถ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐น๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐น๐ฒ๐ป
Among the stolen items was the gold medal Somaya received as a member of India's victorious men's hockey team at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. That triumph remains India's most recent Olympic gold medal in men's hockey.
The burglars also took his silver medal from the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi, bronze medal from the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul and another bronze medal from the 1982 Champions Trophy in Amsterdam.
Other stolen articles included a 10-gram gold bangle, an eight-gram gold coin, two silver cups weighing 144 grams, six silver spoons and an 80-gram silver pot.
The burglars also took Rs 30,000 in cash from the residence.
Somaya expressed anguish over the loss of the Olympic medal, describing it as an irreplaceable reminder of India's sporting achievement.
"One of the medals stolen is India's last Olympic gold medal in men's hockey and, therefore, has immense significance not only for me personally but also for the nation and the history of Indian sport," he said.
He added that the medal represented years of dedication, sacrifice and service to the country.
๐ฆ๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ๐ ๐ด๐ผ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
The former Indian captain has written to Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, seeking his intervention to ensure a thorough and time-bound investigation into the burglary.
Somaya emphasised that an Olympic gold medal was not merely a personal possession but an honour earned while representing the country at the highest level of international sport.
He expressed hope that the authorities would make every possible effort to recover the stolen medals.
The incident has drawn attention because the missing sporting memorabilia represents important moments in Indian hockey history, particularly the country's gold medal-winning campaign at the Moscow Olympics.
๐ฃ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ๐
Indiranagar police have registered a case under Sections 331(4) and 305 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to house-breaking and theft in a dwelling.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (East Division) Vikram Amte said two special teams had been constituted to identify the suspects and recover the stolen property.
Investigators are examining CCTV footage and other available evidence to establish the movements of the suspects before and after the burglary.
No arrests had been reported as of Wednesday evening.
๐ง๐ต๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ-๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ข๐น๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป'๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐ฐ๐
Somaya represented India at three successive Olympic Games โ Moscow in 1980, Los Angeles in 1984 and Seoul in 1988.
He was a member of the Indian team that defeated Spain 4-3 in the final at the 1980 Moscow Olympics to secure the country's eighth Olympic gold medal in men's hockey.
Somaya subsequently captained the national team at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and received the Arjuna Award in 1985 for his contribution to Indian hockey.
His collection of international medals reflected more than a decade of achievements representing India at major sporting competitions.
The theft of the Moscow gold medal is particularly significant because India has not won another Olympic men's hockey gold since 1980, making the stolen medal a reminder of a landmark achievement in the country's sporting history.
Police said efforts were underway to recover the medals and apprehend those responsible for the burglary.