T. Shivakumar from Kamalapur has filed a complaint at the Hampi police station alleging that a heritage pillar at the ground-floor Shiva temple in Hampi was damaged and later disappeared during restoration work carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
According to the complaint, contractor Padmanabha, assigned to the project, allegedly used a machine to break stones from the Vijayanagara era while building a sidewall near the Shiva temple. Shivakumar said he alerted the ASI on December 2, but no action followed. He further stated that the same pillar was eventually broken and later went missing, demanding an inquiry that includes ASI officials.
Shivakumar, who heads the Vijayanagara district unit of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike Jana Sena, questioned the ASI’s conduct, saying, “If the public touches a stone, the ASI files a case. How is it justified for them to damage a memorial stone in the name of restoration?”
A police officer confirmed receipt of the complaint, stating that an investigation will be conducted and a decision will be made on whether ASI officials should be asked for clarification.