OLX Ad Seeks to Sell Statue of Unity for COVID-19 Fund; Case Filed

The monument was listed at Rs 30,000 crore to meet the government’s expenses to fight the coronavirus.

File photo of the Statue of Unity in Kevadia, Gujarat. 

(Photo: PTI)

A case was registered against an unknown person in Gujarat for placing an online advertisement to sell the Statue of Unity in Kevadiya in Narmada district for Rs 30,000 crore to meet the government's expenses for hospitals and medical infrastructure to fight the coronavirus outbreak.

The memorial to Sardar Patel, at 182 metres, is the world's tallest such structure and has attracted several lakh visitors since it was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018.

“Some unknown person placed an advertisement on OLX on Saturday stating he needs to sell the Statue of Unity for Rs 30,000 crore to meet the monetary requirement to buy hospitals and healthcare equipment,” a Kevadiya police official said quoting the FIR.

"The memorial's authorities came to know of the issue after a newspaper ran an article, and approached police. A cheating and forgery case was registered under IPC, Epidemic Diseases Act and Information Technology Act," Inspector PT Chaudhary said. Soon after it was posted, the advertisement was taken off the website.

"Despite him not being authorised to sell government property, this unidentified person posted the advertisement on OLX to defame the government and mislead people," stated a release from the chief administrator of the Statue of Unity. Such an advertisement hurts the sentiments of the several crore people who idolise Sardar Patel, it added.