Sculptor arrested for installing fake bronze statue in Karnataka's Udupi district

Udupi: The Karkala town police arrested the sculptor of the 33-foot-tall Parashurama statue at Umikkal Hill in Bailur in Karkala taluk for installing a look-alike statue, instead of a bronze statue of Parashurama at Parashurama Theme Park in Karkala.

Udupi Superintendent of Police Dr Arun K said that the arrested is Krishna Naik of Krish Art World, a resident of Visvesvaraya layout in Bengaluru. He was arrested in Mahe, which is a part of Union Territory of Puducherry.

The police had booked a case under Section 420 (cheating) and 409 (criminal breach of trust) of IPC in June this year based on a complaint by Krishna Shetty,a resident of Nallur village in Karkala taluk.

The complainant had alleged that Naik received Rs 1,25,50,000 from Udupi Nirmithi Kendra for installing a bronze statue of Parashurama at Parashurama Theme Park in Karkala. But Naik cheated the government by installing a look-alike statue, instead of a bronze statue, he charged in the complaint.

The statue was unveiled by then chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on January 27, 2023. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had ordered a CID probe into the alleged corruption in the setting up of the statue at Parashurama Theme Park.