'Took away everything I earned in life': Padma Shri awardee Bula Chowdhury's medals stolen from ancestral home in West Bengal
NEW DELHI: Former swimmer and
Padma Shri
awardee Bula Chowdhury has alleged that thieves stole her medals and mementos from her ancestral home in West Bengal's Hooghly district.
Chowdhury, a six-time gold medallist at the South Asian Federation (SAF) Games, said the theft had robbed her of 'everything' she had earned in her sporting career.
'Thieves have taken away everything I earned in my entire life through my hard work and dedication. All medals, including the six gold medals I won at the SAF Games and the Padma Shri brooch, have been stolen,' she told news agency PTI.
You Can Also Check:
Kolkata AQI
|
Weather in Kolkata
|
Bank Holidays in Kolkata
|
Public Holidays in Kolkata
|
Gold Rates Today in Kolkata
|
Silver Rates Today in Kolkata
The 54-year-old said the intruders also took away several mementos but left behind the Arjuna Award and the Tenzing Norgay Award medals. 'Probably they did not recognise them, as they were smaller in size,' she said.
Police said Chowdhury's brother discovered the theft on Independence Day when he visited the house in Hindmotor and found the back gate broken and the rooms ransacked.
This is the third such incident reported at the property, which remains locked as Chowdhury now lives in Kolkata's Kasba area.
'Why are they taking medals? They won't get any money for them. They are treasures of my life, the fruits of my career. My house is targeted every time because it stays empty,' Chowdhury said.
Stay updated with the latest local news from your
city
on
Times of India
(TOI). Check upcoming
bank holidays
,
public holidays
, and current
gold rates
and
silver prices
in your area.
Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with
Happy Krishna Janmashtami Wishes
,,
messages
, and
quotes
!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
17 minutes ago
- NDTV
West Bengal Cops Recover Stolen Padma Shri Award Of Ex-Swimmer In 48 Hours, 1 Arrested
The sleuths of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of West Bengal Police have recovered the stolen Padma Shri award of internationally acclaimed (former) Indian swimmer, also an Arjuna Award winner, Bula Chowdhury, within 48 hours from the time of theft. Confirming this development, an official of the state police said that one person has been arrested in this connection and based on his interrogation, the sleuths were able to track the prestigious award. However, he refused to divulge further on this issue, and said that the details will be provided at a press conference later in the day to be addressed by the Hooghly district Police Superintendent. Chowdhury, who was also a former CPI(M) legislator from 2006 to 2011, thanked the police for acting promptly and recovering her award so soon. Although Choudhury currently stays in Kasba in South Kolkata, all her awards, trophies, and medals, which she earned during her swimming career, were displayed at her ancestral residence at Hind-Motor in Hooghly district, where it was stolen last Friday. Although initially the investigation was started by the Hooghly district police, later the charge of the investigation was handed over to the CID. She used to come to her ancestral residence every week and inspect whether her awards, trophies, and medals were preserved and maintained properly. On Friday, it was noted that her Padma Shri award shield was missing from the place where it was displayed. Later, it was discovered that some of her awards, trophies, and medals were also stolen. Milan Chowdhury, the brother of the champion swimmer, who stays at that Hind-Motor residence, said that there were three robbery attempts at the residence earlier. "Each time, police complaints were registered, and a routine investigation was carried out. However, subsequent robbery attempts did not stop. Even for a brief period, a police picket was also put up there, only to be withdrawn after a certain period," he said.
NDTV
17 minutes ago
- NDTV
Man Arrested For Sending Bomb-Laden Speaker To Husband Of Woman He Loved
A 20-year-old electrician from Chhattisgarh allegedly planted an improvised explosive device (IED) in a music system speaker and sent it as a gift to the husband of a woman he was infatuated with, police said on Sunday. The accused assembled the IED using online tutorials, designing it to detonate upon being plugged in. His Google search history showed "how to kill a person using a bomb without being caught by police", officials said. With the arrest of the man, the police in Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai district have not only foiled a planned murder but also unearthed an explosive smuggling racket which supplied gelatin sticks to the accused, they said. In a similar case in April 2023, a newly married man and his elder brother were killed after a home theatre music system received as wedding gift from his wife's former lover exploded in their house in neighbouring Kabirdham district. In the latest case, the prime accused, Vinay Verma, and six others have been arrested, Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai district Superintendent of Police (SP) Lakshya Sharma told PTI. The others have been identified as Parmeshwar Verma (25), Gopal Verma (22), Ghasiram Verma (46), Dilip Dhimar (38), Gopal Khelwar and Khilesh Verma (19), as per the police. The conspiracy came to light when a suspicious parcel, neatly gift-wrapped and bearing a fake India Post logo, was delivered three-four days back to a shop in Manpur village under Gandai police station limits. The parcel was addressed to village resident Afsar Khan, the intended target. Finding it suspicious, Khan promptly alerted the police, the official said. A bomb disposal team examined the package and found a 2-kg IED concealed inside a brand-new speaker, the SP said. Technical analysis showed the IED was designed to detonate upon being plugged into a power source. The current would reach a detonator connected to the speaker's wiring, triggering the explosion, the official said. Gelatin sticks were used as the primary explosive, and the speaker's outer casing would act as deadly shrapnel upon detonation, he said. The investigation suggested that Vinay Verma, resident of Kusami village in Khairagarh, allegedly hatched the plot in a bid to murder Khan, the official said. Verma, an electrician, procured the speaker and assembled the IED using online tutorials. His mobile phone's Google search history included "how to kill a person using a bomb without being caught by police", Sharma said. The accused was in one-sided love with Khan's wife since her college days. After she married Khan a few months back, Verma allegedly plotted to eliminate him, he said. Further probe indicated the explosives used in the device had been siphoned off from a stone quarry in Chhattisgarh's Durg district. Durg resident Parmeshwar allegedly paid Rs 6,000 to procure gelatin rods from Gopal and Dilip, also natives of Durg. Ghasiram delivered the explosives, while Khilesh is accused of preparing the fake India Post logo used on the parcel, the official said. Verma, with the help from Gopal, eventually delivered the explosive-laden gift to Khan's shop. Subsequent raids at the premises of Gopal and Dilip in Durg led to the seizure of 60 gelatin sticks and two detonators, he said. The explosives had been illegally diverted from a quarry in Patharia area, whose operator will also be questioned, he said. "This action not only thwarted a planned murder but also exposed a network of illegal explosive supply in the region," Sharma said. Further investigation was underway and strict legal action will be taken against all those involved in the crime, he added.
Hindustan Times
17 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Bengal: Medals stolen from swimmer Bula Chowdhury's Hooghly house recovered; 1 held
Kolkata: Police recovered 295 medals, including gold medals and a replica of the Padma Shri medal, stolen from the residence of former national swimming champion Bula Chowdhury in West Bengal's Hooghly district, and arrested a person from the Rishra area on Sunday. Police recovered 295 medals, including gold medals and a replica of the Padma Shri medal, stolen from the residence. (PTI) The recovery was made a day after the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was given charge of the investigation. 'Chowdhury had told us more than 150 medals and the Padma Shri medallion were stolen from her home in the Hindmotor area. We have recovered 295 medals. We believe 99% of the stolen items have been found. Chowdhury has to identify these,' deputy commissioner of police of Serampore Arnab Biswas said. 'Joint efforts by the CID, the detective department of the district police, and the local police station led to the recovery and the thief was arrested from the Rishra area,' Biswas added, refusing to share the suspect's identity. The Hindmotor house was empty since Chowdhury shifted to Kolkata years ago. She was informed about the theft on Friday by a neighbour, who noticed that the lock on one of the doors had been broken open. Chowdhury and her family rushed to Hooghly. 'I have lost more than 150 medals, including 120 gold medals, which I won both at various national and international championships during my lifetime. The list includes 10 gold medals I won at the South Asian Federation (SAF) Games,' Chowdhury said. The South Asian Games were previously known as the SAF Games. 'The Arjuna Award and the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Sports Award, which were also kept in the house, are still there. They were not stolen,' she said.
