<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A metal statue of political and spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi has been stolen from a charity in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/melbourne" rel="" target="" title="Melbourne's"><span>Melbourne's</span></a><span> south-east.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Police believe the 400kg solid bronze statue of the global peace figure was taken from the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville just before 1am on Monday, January 12.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The thieves used an angle grinder to cut the statue at the ankles, according to CCTV.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>EXCLUSIVE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/not-so-grey-nomads-south-australian-couple-allan-mercer-jess-smith-ditched-mortgage-and-rentals-for-life-on-the-road/c46712f9-d91b-4600-80ae-621757bfed51" target="_blank"><strong><span>The extraordinary lengths young Aussies are going to after being forced out of home ownership</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australian Indian Community Charitable Trust chairperson Vasan Srinivasan said the brazen theft had left the community angry and upset.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Gandhi means a lot to us - a father of the nation who fought for India's freedom without bloodshed," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We adored this Gandhi statue, there are so many school children, families come here and take pictures with it."</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/gandhi-statue-stolen-adored-bronze-gandhi-statue-taken-from-indian-charity/fbab3c80-90c8-41e3-963a-32930db0bad7" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He doesn't suspect the theft of the statue, which has an estimated value of $60,000, had racist or political motivations.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>WATCH:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/ebike-sydney-harbour-bridge-footage/8eb12ffa-25bc-4d5a-8b35-d404e142e0ba" target="_blank"><strong><span>Dozens of e-bike 'hoons' ride over Sydney Harbour Bridge</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There was no defacing, there was no spraying of any graffiti, it's cut and taken it very cleanly,"</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We're treating this as a theft of the statue, they took it for metallic value."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Scrap metal dealers are warned to look out for the statue as the thieves may be looking to on-sell it.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The statue was gifted to the centre in 2021 by the Indian government.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It was vandalised just days after then-prime minister Scott Morrison inaugurated it, when thieves failed in their attempts to remove the head of the statue.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Indian government's Ministry of External Affairs today denounced the robbery.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/heat-rule-australian-council-of-trade-unions-leads-push-for-tradies-to-stop-work-in-extreme-heat/7c21be95-9e1d-4e0a-aab2-bd8eec99867d" target="_blank"><strong><span>What some tradies are calling for work to stop when it hits 29C</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We strongly condemn the vandalisation and removal of the Mahatma Gandhi statue located at the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville, Melbourne by unidentified people," ministry spokesperson Shri Randhir Jaiswal said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We have strongly raised the matter with Australian authorities and urged them to take immediate action to recover the missing statue and hold the culprits accountable."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The investigation remains ongoing. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank" title=""><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>