Missing Shera replica found in UT village

Chandigarh crime branch sleuths tracked down Shera -- the official mascot of Commonwealth Games 2010  -- late Monday evening, hours after it went missing from the Verka Chowk in Mohali. The statue was found abandoned near a private school in Toga village of UT.

The crime branch officials found it following a tip-off and informed the SSP, Mohali, GPS Bhullar, immediately. The SSP directed the SHO of Phase-I police station to visit the place and collect the statue.

Earlier in a day, to fend off embarrassing queries like why were there no police personnel at Verka Chowk, which is considered to be the busiest intersection in the state, officials said Shera's replica would be replaced at the earliest. The mascot was stolen on Sunday.

Mohali deputy commissioner Parveen Kumar said a new statue would be installed in the next couple of days since its manufacturer, Abninder Singh Grewal had agreed to provide another statue 'free of cost'.