Bengaluru Police recover former hockey captain M.M. Somaya’s Olympic gold medal; two arrested

The medals were stolen from Somaya’s house in New Thippasandra in east Bengaluru when he and his family were away in their native Kodagu district. The theft came to light on October 28, after the family returned and found that the front door lock had been broken. Several other valuables were also reported missing.

The arrested men have been identified as Manikya alias Manikanta, 31, and Bharat, 25. Police apprehended them near Hagalahalli Cross in Ramanagara on November 9. During questioning, the accused reportedly disclosed that they had carried out the burglary with the assistance of another person, who remains absconding. Both were produced before a court and remanded to police custody for eight days.

Investigators found that two of the stolen medals had been sold to a gold-buying establishment in Rajajinagar. Police retrieved those medals from the establishment, while the remaining six were recovered from a house in Hoskote. The operation also led to the recovery of a traditional Kodava dagger, a camera and an Olympic kit bag. The two-wheeler allegedly used by the suspects was also seized.

The recovered collection includes the gold medal from the 1980 Moscow Olympics, a silver medal from the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi, a bronze medal from the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul and another bronze medal from the 1982 Champions Trophy in Amsterdam. The other medals include a gold from the Loiano tournament in Italy, participation medals from the 1984 Los Angeles and 1988 Seoul Olympics, and a silver medal issued during the celebrations marking the 300th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh.

Somaya expressed immense relief and gratitude to the Bengaluru Police for tracing the medals. He said the honours represented years of dedication to Indian hockey and carried memories that could not be measured in monetary terms. He described their recovery as an experience akin to winning the medals once again.

Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh announced a reward of ₹1 lakh for the team involved in solving the case. Police said one of the arrested men had several previous criminal cases registered against him in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, while the other also had a criminal record. Efforts are continuing to apprehend the third suspect.

Somaya represented India at three Olympic Games — Moscow in 1980, Los Angeles in 1984 and Seoul in 1988. The recovery of his 1980 Olympic gold is particularly significant as it was part of the Indian men's hockey team that won the country's last Olympic gold medal in the sport.