HC grants interim stay in statue case

Karkala: The Karnataka High Court has issued an interim stay in the ongoing legal proceedings against Krishna Nayak, the sculptor behind the controversial bronze statue of Parashurama located atop Ummikal Hill in Karkala. The stay was granted after Nayak petitioned to quash an FIR filed by the Karkala Town Police, which alleged irregularities in the statue’s construction.

The FIR, registered by the Karkala JMFC (Judicial Magistrate First Class) Court, initiated the proceedings that Nayak sought to halt. His petition was heard by a single bench of Justice M. Nagaprasanna, who granted the interim stay after considering arguments from Nayak’s counsel, M ArunShyam. The case, which has drawn significant attention due to the statue’s cultural importance, is now set for further hearing on September 10.