Bust of Mahatma Gandhi beheaded on B.C. university campus
Authorities are asking witnesses to come forward after security at Simon Fraser University discovered the head of the school's Mahatma Gandhi bust had been removed.
It’s unclear when the head was stolen but police believe power tools were used in the theft.
A number of Gandhi statues across the country have been the target of vandalism in recent years, and police said SFU’s bust had previously been vandalized with paint.
On Monday, the Consulate General of India in Vancouver released a statement on the statue’s decapitation on Twitter.
"We strongly condemn heinous crime of vandalizing the statue of harbinger of peace Mahatma Gandhiji," read the statement. "The Canadian authorities are urged to investigate the matter urgently and bring the perpetrators to justice swiftly."
The university said it is supporting Burnaby RCMP in their investigation.
"We are deeply disappointed that someone would do such an act. Vandalism of any kind is unacceptable and will not be tolerated," read a tweet by SFU Communications.
According to the Burnaby Art Gallery website, the sculpture was created by the Wagh Brothers at their Fine Arts Studio in Bombay, India in 1969. The website adds the following description: "This bronze bust of Mahatma Gandhi, a profoundly spiritual man whose teachings continue to inspire others, was generously donated to SFU by the East Indian community of British Columbia."
As of Tuesday at noon, the entire statue had been removed.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Israel launches strikes on military targets in Iran, escalating Mideast wars
Israel launched airstrikes early Saturday on what it described as military targets in Iran in retaliation for a ballistic missile assault Oct. 1, officials said. There was no immediate information on damage in the Islamic Republic.
DEVELOPING Scotiabank confirms outage for mobile, online banking
Scotiabank has confirmed outages affecting mobile and online banking services, according to a statement published to its X account.
'I did everything I could': Canada Post driver recounts helping save woman from fiery Tesla crash
Canada Post driver Rick Harper recounts how he and others helped save a woman from a Tesla that caught fire after crashing into a guardrail on Lake Shore Boulevard.
An abrupt goodbye to a guerilla goldfish aquarium beneath a leaky Brooklyn fire hydrant
A makeshift aquarium that popped up this summer in a puddle beneath a leaky fire hydrant in New York City has been paved over, to the dismay of neighbours who turned the area into a hangout spot and goldfish shrine.
Climate change breaks heat records across Canada this summer
Human-caused climate change made almost all of Canada’s heat waves hotter and more likely, Environment and Climate Change Canada said in an announcement Friday.
Mother who beat and starved her 5-year-old son to death sentenced to over 50 years in prison
A New Hampshire woman was sentenced Friday to 53 years to life in prison in the death of her 5-year-old son, who was beaten, starved and exposed to drugs before his 19-pound body was found buried in a Massachusetts park in 2021.
'Get away from your inner circle': Liberal MP 'shocked' PM didn't take more time to reflect on calls to resign
Longtime Liberal MP Wayne Long says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should give more weight to the views of his backbenchers in determining his future leading the Party, rather than relying on those in his immediate orbit.
Mom and child jumped from a window to escape a Las Vegas fire that killed 2 children and 2 adults
Two adults and two children were found dead in the charred rubble of a house fire after a mother and another child jumped from a third-floor window to escape flames in a southwest Las Vegas neighborhood, authorities said.
Russian actors made fake video depicting mail-in ballots for Trump being destroyed, FBI says
Russian actors made a widely circulated video falsely depicting mail-in ballots for Donald Trump being destroyed in Pennsylvania, U.S. officials said Friday.