‘I feel like I’ve won Olympic gold again’: MM Somaya gets medal back as Bengaluru police crack theft case

Former Indian hockey captain MM Somaya NEW DELHI: Former Indian hockey captain MM Somaya got back his prized 1980 Moscow Olympics gold medal after Bengaluru police cracked a theft case and recovered the stolen medals and other valuables from his residence. Two people were arrested in connection with the incident, which brought relief to the three-time Olympian, who described the recovery as an emotional moment.Somaya thanked the police for their efforts and said their reassurances during the investigation helped him maintain hope that the medals would be recovered.“I am extremely thankful to the Bangalore police headed by Mr. Seemant (Kumar Singh) who worked really hard in the last few days. They were not only able to recover the medal but also some valuables stolen from my residence,” Somaya told reporters.He also appreciated the efforts of DCP East Dr. Vikrama, ACP of Halsur, Police Inspector Anand and the Indiranagar police team who assured him from the start that the medals would be traced.“They are an honor not only to me personally but it is an honor to the state and the country. So he was very reassuring and he and his team at the Indiranagar police station did a great job. And I am really thankful to them. I feel like I have won an Olympic medal again. I am really happy how the police handled and cracked this case in a short period of time,” he added.

Two arrested, all stolen medals and valuables recovered

Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said the police recovered all the stolen medals and valuables and handed them back to Somaya after completing legal formalities.“This case of theft reported at Indira Nagar police station by Mr. Somaiya about the theft of gold medal and silver medals which he won in such a great way for the pride of the country. So today we are happy that my entire team was able to crack this case, two people were arrested and all the valuables as well as all the medals that were stolen were recovered and we consider handing over all our formal privileges to Mr. Somiya after completion,” he told ANI.Singh described the investigation as one of the most challenging cases for the police as there were no initial leads. He said that both the arrested accused were involved in similar crimes earlier and that the police would ensure that such crimes do not recur.“It’s a relief for us, a motivation for us, especially for our lower forces who work day and night, and this was one of the most challenging cases for us because we had no leads for it. We were finally able to crack this case and get things and the two people who are there, those are the accused who were caught, they are people who have been involved in such crimes before,” he also added in the future.

Somaya recalls the shock of the theft, the emotional value of the Olympic gold

The theft took place on October 28 when Somaya and his family were away on a short vacation in Coorg, his native place. After a neighbor alerted them, they rushed back to Bengaluru and registered a complaint with an FIR filed the same day.“Actually, we had gone to Coorg (at the time of the theft), my native place, for a short vacation and what happened was that the thieves broke into the house, which was really a shock to us. Fortunately, one of our neighbors alerted us quickly and we quickly returned from Coorg and were able to register our complaint and an FIR was also filed the same day,” Somaya said.The 1980 Olympic gold holds special significance for Somay, who also represented India at the 1984 Los Angeles and 1988 Seoul Olympics, captaining the latter. He won silver at the 1982 Delhi Asian Games and bronze at the 1986 Seoul Games.Recalling the amateur era of Indian hockey, Somaya explained why medals meant much more to him than their material value.“It (the medal) is years of work and at that time there were no monetary awards, it was an amateur sport, so the medals are actually a bit of an honor and not only for me but for the state and the country. So I carry a lot of memories and feelings, so it’s very special for me, especially the Olympic gold medal and I’m really happy that they’re back with me now,” he said.