August 17, 2025

Kolkata woke up to exciting news as police recovered a whopping 295 medals from a thief’s hideout in the Rishra area! These precious medals, including glittering gold ones and even a small replica of the Padma Shri medal, were stolen from the home of former national swimming champion Bula Chowdhury in West Bengal’s Hooghly district. The big catch came just a day after the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) took over the case. Serampore's deputy commissioner of police, Arnab Biswas, shared, "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." The detective drama unfolded with a team effort from the CID, district police detectives, and the local police station. Their swift action led to the arrest of Krisha Chowdhury from Rishra. The officer, however, chose not to reveal more about the suspect. Bula Chowdhury, the heart and soul of Indian swimming, expressed her emotions, saying, "I am extremely happy that police acted so promptly. The original Padma Shri award I received from President APJ Abdul Kalam is at my Kolkata home. But I cannot find the small replica. I am looking for it." Her house in Hindmotor had been empty for years after she moved to Kolkata. The shock came when a neighbour spotted a broken lock on one door last Friday. Chowdhury and her family hurried to Hooghly to check on things. She revealed her losses with a heavy heart, "I 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." Good news followed as she added, "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." This feeling of justice served brings relief and renewed joy to a champion who gave glory to the nation. The medal mystery looks nearly solved, thanks to relentless police work and swift action!

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Tags: Bula chowdhury, Stolen medals, Hooghly police, Padma shri replica, Medal recovery, Krisha chowdhury arrest,