In a shocking repeat of crime, the ancestral home of celebrated Indian swimmer Bula Chowdhury in Hindmotor, Hooghly district, was brutally ransacked by burglars. This marks the fourth such break-in at the property in the last decade, leaving the Arjuna and Padma Shri awardee distraught.
A Scene of Devastation in Hindmotor
Bula Chowdhury, the first woman to swim across seven seas spanning five continents, discovered the break-in on Saturday. She currently resides in Kasba, Kolkata, and was visiting her two-storeyed house near Hindmotor station to collect winter clothes. What she found left her speechless.
The entire house was turned upside down. Precious mementoes from her illustrious career lay scattered in the drawing room. Almirahs and other furniture in the bedrooms were opened and overturned. Clothes were strewn everywhere, and even the kitchen was completely ransacked. The disarray was so severe that Chowdhury could not immediately determine what was missing.
"It seemed as though a cyclone barrelled through the house," a distressed Chowdhury recounted. "My husband and I were initially baffled... we later discovered that the wooden shutters in one window were open and the grille was removed."
A Troubling History of Repeated Thefts
This incident is not an isolated one. The swimmer's Hindmotor home has been targeted repeatedly:
- 2014 (First & Second Theft): The house was burgled twice within seven months. Gold ornaments were stolen in the first incident and were never recovered. The second theft saw an LED TV, mementoes, and some medals taken.
- August 2025 (Third Theft): Burglars made off with many medals, all taps, and utensils from the puja room. Police later recovered the medals.
- Current Incident (Fourth Theft): The latest break-in occurred despite a police presence outside the house, which was arranged after the August 2025 medal theft.
Chandannagar Police Commissionerate's Serampore DCP Arnab Ghosh confirmed that after the last robbery, police had recovered 308 medals in two phases. Chowdhury was advised to remove all valuables, and she believed nothing was left in the house.
Investigation and Ongoing Concerns
Police are actively investigating the latest break-in. Chowdhury, who also served as an MLA from 2006 to 2011, expressed her anguish over the recurring invasions of her private space. Her husband, Sanjib Chakraborty, and son, Sarbajit, had last visited the property about a month and a half before the burglary.
The repeated targeting of a national sports icon's home raises serious questions about security and the efficacy of measures taken after previous crimes. The community in Hindmotor and fans across India await answers as the investigation unfolds.
