Statue of early ruler in India vanishes in California. Now officials search for thief

Someone cut a statue of an early ruler from India off its base and made off with it from a San Jose park, California officials reported.

The statue of Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Guadalupe River Park was a gift from San Jose’s sister city in India, KTVU reported.

In a Feb. 3 Twitter post, parks officials said the statue depicting the leader on horseback had gone missing, with photos of the original statue and the remaining base.

“The city is deeply saddened that this landmark has been stolen,” officials wrote in a second Twitter post.

Shivaji founded the Maratha kingdom of India in the 1600s, according to Britannica. Outraged by persecution of Hindus, he led a revolt and in 1666 escaped house arrest by having himself and his son carried past guards in large baskets of sweets, ostensibly intended to be given to the poor.

He went on to found an independent kingdom noted for its religious tolerance, according to the encyclopedia.

Parks officials ask that anyone with information on the statue call police at 408-277-8900.