BHOPAL: A five-month-long search by two sisters for their cherished Laddu Gopal idol(miniature idol depicting Lord Krishna's infant form) has prompted police in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior district to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to trace the missing deity.
Two young sisters, Vijaya Sharma and Madhavi Sharma, residents of Gwalior’s Alkapuri area, had gone to the city’s beautiful and bustling central Maharaj Wada square in Madhavganj area on January 29, to get new clothes for their Laddu Gopal’s miniature brass idol.
With no one back home, the two sisters took with them the prized idol also for getting the right-fitting attire and crown for the prized brass possession.
“It was while buying vegetables that Didi (Madhavi Sharma) forgot Kanhaji on the vegetable seller’s hand-pulled cart. Just a little while later, we realised that we had left the idol back on the cart. We rushed back, but couldn’t find Kanhaji. After that we searched Kanhaji everywhere, spanning from every vegetable and adjoining shops to the Sarafa Bazar, but couldn’t find our Kanhaji,” the younger of the two sisters Vijaya said.
Since then, the two sisters have been searching for their treasured Laddu Gopal’s idol everywhere, but haven’t found it. They even announced a Rs 1100 reward for anyone who brings back or returns their Kanhaji to them.
“We went to the Kotwali, but despite all efforts by the cops, Kanhaji remains away from us till date. We recently met with IG-Gwalior, who after listening to us patiently, directed the Gwalior Police officials to constitute a special investigation team (SIT) to search and bring back our missing Kanhaji. Life without Kanhaji is very difficult. The prized idol was brought much before our birth by our Ayurvedic doctor mother Pushpa Sharma. She passed away five years back, since when we, particularly my elder sister, have been taking care of the idol, just like my late mother,” Vijaya said.
“My sister is particularly disturbed, Kanhaji is regularly coming in our dreams and telling us that he is sad, in pain and is hurt, he wants us to bring him back to our home. We appeal to anyone who has our Kanhaji to bring him back to us. We’ve enhanced the reward for finding our Kanhaji to Rs 5000,” she added.
Confirming the development, the IG-Gwalior Zone, Arvind Saxena said, “It’s a question of faith, both the sisters are in deep pain. They have told me that one or two personnel of the local police station have been very cooperative, I’ve instructed the local circle SP (CSP) Kiran Ahirwar to constitute a six member-strong special investigation team which comprises cops who have been helping the two sisters. The special team should join the two sisters and find their treasured Laddu Gopal idol at the earliest.”