Meerut (UP): Barely a week after the installation of a statue honoring world champion javelin thrower and Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra, a portion of the javelin held in the statue's hand has reportedly been stolen.

The discovery was made on Monday morning by social activist Lokesh Khurana, who subsequently called for an inquiry into the matter. Khurana stated, "The part is either broken or stolen. If it has been stolen, efforts on a war footing should be made to trace the same, and if it is broken, an inquiry should immediately be ordered to fix responsibility."

The Meerut police have initiated an investigation, and teams have been formed to resolve the issue. However, despite preliminary indications of a robbery, no significant progress has been reported thus far.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rohit Singh Sajwan stated, "We are going through all available CCTV footage in the area to track down the culprits and are hopeful to nab the miscreants soon." As of now, no official First Information Report (FIR) has been filed regarding the incident.

The statue was erected on August 29 by the Meerut Development Authority (MDA) to honor Neeraj Chopra's accomplishments at the Tokyo Olympics and the world athletic event in Budapest. The Hapur Adda intersection is home to statues of other renowned Olympians.

Abhishek Pandey, Vice Chairman of the MDA, commented, "I am not aware of the incident, but if it is true, then the MDA will re-install the missing portion of the javelin."

Anuj Singhal, Chief of the Surajkund Sports Vyapar Sangh, expressed his disappointment, saying, "If the javelin has been stolen, it is a shame on us as Meerut is known for producing and exporting sports goods across the world. We have seen a record rise in the sale of javelins since 25-year-old Neeraj Chopra earned laurels for the country in the international arena."

 

 

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New Delhi: The Supreme Court has granted bail to Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni in connection with the murder of BJP Zilla Panchayat member Yogish Gowda from Hebballi in Dharwad district.

A bench headed by Justice Sanjay Karol passed the order granting bail to Kulkarni.

Earlier, following the cancellation of his bail, Kulkarni had surrendered before the Special Court for MPs and MLAs. His recent bail plea had also been rejected by the High Court.

Subsequently, Kulkarni approached the Supreme Court, which has now granted him bail.