The clip, which went viral on social media and WhatsApp, shows three men pushing the carved stone pillar to the ground, following which it breaks. The clip, which went viral on social media and WhatsApp, shows three men pushing the carved stone pillar to the ground, following which it breaks.

A video clip showing three men damaging a carved stone pillar at Hampi, a UNESCO world heritage site in Karnataka, has prompted police to launch a probe to nab the trio. Karnataka Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday said stringent action would be taken against those responsible. In a statement, Shivakumar, who is also the district in-charge Minister of Ballari under which Hampi falls, said he has directed police to trace the culprits and initiate action.

“We will not tolerate any such act of causing damage to historical sites,” he said.

The clip, which went viral on social media and WhatsApp, shows three men pushing the carved stone pillar to the ground, following which it breaks. Other damaged pillars are also seen lying around, but it was not immediately clear whether the men had damaged it.

Police said they were verifying the authenticity of the video and have begun investigations. Meanwhile, locals staged a protest demanding that adequate security be provided to the monuments.

Recently, Hampi was ranked second on the New York Times list of 52 must-go sites in the world.

Young Indian men vandalize Hampi, the @UNESCO World Heritage site which is on @nytimes 52 places to visit in 2019 https://t.co/FuBjAJpLpj

and post a video celebrating their act. I hope they are caught and made an example of in terms of a long prison sentence h/t @WhatsApp pic.twitter.com/v5DUM7xhuw — Raju Narisetti (@raju) February 2, 2019

📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines

For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App.