MELBOURNE, 20 May 2026: The Knox Crime Investigation Unit has decided to close its probe into the mysterious theft of the Mahatma Gandhi statue from the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville on 12 January this year, according to reliable sources.
Investigators had earlier suspected the bronze statue may have been cut using an angle grinder, removed, and possibly sold to a scrap metal dealer. Another line of speculation suggested a more sinister motive behind the theft.
The statue was inaugurated by former Prime Minister Scott Morrison on 12 November 2021. It had been gifted by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), New Delhi. Within 24 hours of its unveiling, the statue was vandalised by unknown individuals.
In his inauguration address, Morrison said: “Gandhi’s life is his message — a message that endures. It is not a whisper from the past, but a teaching embedded in the hearts of millions around the world and reflected in every aspect of this building. I wish this centre a long and illustrious life, and the vibrancy of this community every success.”
Earlier efforts to install a Gandhi statue in Melbourne’s Little India in 2018 had failed. Instead, a large mural of Gandhi was commissioned in Little India as part of a Victorian Government initiative under then Premier Daniel Andrews to revitalise the precinct. The mural later disappeared under unexplained circumstances. The issue faded from public attention during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
A notable cultural initiative followed in April 2018, when the Immigration Museum hosted the digital exhibition “Mahatma Gandhi: An Immigrant,” focusing on his years in South Africa and the development of his philosophy of non-violent resistance. The exhibition, supported by the Victorian Government and Deakin University, drew significant public interest. Ela Gandhi, peace activist and granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, visited Melbourne to view the exhibition.
The closure of the investigation comes ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Australia in July, which is expected to include a major diaspora event in Melbourne.
South Asia Times has contacted Victoria Police for comment. A response is awaited.
