Udupi: A delegation from the Karkala Congress submitted a formal appeal to Udupi Deputy Commissioner Swaroop T.K. on Wednesday, demanding the termination of Arun Kumar, Project Director of Udupi Nirmiti Kendra, and Engineer Sachin Y.
The demand stems from a chargesheet filed by Karkala police in connection with the controversial Parashurama statue scam. The bronze statue, installed on Ummikal Hill in Erlapadi village, was allegedly not built as per the contract specifications. Instead of adhering to the work order, the officers are accused of delivering a fake statue, storing its upper portion for months before transporting it to Bengaluru.
The police have filed a 1,231-page chargesheet at the Karkala court, charging both officials under IPC Sections 420 (cheating), 409 (criminal breach of trust), 201 (destruction of evidence), 120B (criminal conspiracy), and 34 (common intent).
The Congress delegation emphasized that allowing these officials to continue in their current roles could jeopardize the investigation and potentially influence witnesses. They argued that the ongoing case has already drawn statewide attention, likely sparking debates in both the Karnataka Assembly and Legislative Council.
The party also stressed the religious and cultural sensitivity surrounding the issue, warning that further administrative inaction could lead to public unrest and damage trust in governance.
Among those present were Block Congress Vice President Subith Kumar, Municipal Member Vivekananda Shenoy, Sandeep Shetty, Yogish Inna, Pradeep Beladi, and other local leaders.