Over 1.28 lakh tourists visit Statue of Unity in 11 days
Vadodara, Nov 11 : Since opening for the public on November 1, the 182-metre tall Statue of Unity in Narmada district of Gujarat has attracted more than 1.28 lakh tourists, officials said.
A huge rush of tourists was seen during the weekend, with over 50,000 people visiting the world's tallest statue at Kevadiya village on Saturday and Sunday alone (November 10- 11), they said.
"Since November 1, when the statue opened for the public, we have received around 1.28 lakh tourists (till Sunday)," Superintending Engineer of Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL) R G Kanungo said.
Over 24,000 tourists visited the site Sunday and more than 27,000 Saturday, he said.
The statue, dedicated to `Iron Man of India' Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, is situated on an islet near the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Kevadiya. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 31.
Talking to PTI, Principal Secretary (Tourism) S J Haider said more than 10,000 tourists had visited the statue on the very first day of its opening.
"The number of tourists kept on increasing since November 1," he said.
Haider said the government is ready to welcome any number of tourists at the site.
He said the new tourist attraction in Gujarat will help increase the number of travellers visiting the state from other parts of the country and also abroad.
"Gujarat has registered 17 per cent year-on growth in tourism with a total 5.2 crore tourists visiting the state in 2017. The Statue of Unity will help in achieving considerable growth in arrival of tourists to Gujarat," he said.
The towering structure, built at a cost of Rs 2,989 crore, is nearly twice the height of Statue of Liberty in United States and also bigger than Spring Temple Buddha, China (153 metres) and Ushika Daibustum Japan (120 metres).
Along with the Statue of Unity, Gujarat Tourism has added many attractions nearby for sight-seeing. Two tent cities have been created along the backwater lakes of the Narmada dam reservoir for tourists who want to stay there.
Among the prime attractions at the site is a viewers gallery inside the statue located at a height of 135 metres with a capacity to accommodate 200 persons at a time.
High-speed lifts installed there are capable of taking 5,000 people per day to the viewing gallery, which offers a panoramic glimpse of the surrounding areas.
The ambitious project was announced in 2010 and a special purpose vehicle was set up by the state government for its construction.
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Bengaluru: Woman falls prey to 'digital arrest' scam, losses over Rs 2.05 cr
Bengaluru (PTI): A 57-year-old woman fell prey to an alleged "digital arrest" scam and lost over Rs 2.05 crore to cybercriminals, who posed as law enforcement officials, police said on Tuesday.
'Digital arrest' is a form of cyber fraud where fraudsters pose as law enforcement officers and threaten people through audio or video calls, forcing them to transfer money online.
The woman was also coerced into selling multiple properties and taking bank loans to meet the fraudsters' demands, they said.
The offence is said to have occurred between June 19 and November 27, police said.
According to the complaint, on June 19, 2025, he received a call from an unidentified number claiming to be from Blue Dart courier company, informing her that a baggage allegedly linked to her Aadhaar card contained drugs and that Mumbai Police would arrest her.
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The caller then instructed her to install an app and began video calling her regularly. In the first week, they continuously monitored her through video and WhatsApp calls, the FIR stated.
It further stated that the accused allegedly appeared on video calls wearing police uniforms and claimed to be officers of the rank of inspector and deputy commissioner of police.
Police said the accused used to contact the complainant through multiple unknown mobile numbers and demanded money, threatening that her son's life would be in danger if payments were not made.
Fearing arrest and harm to her family, the complainant sold two plots in Malur at a low price, disposed of an apartment in Vignan Nagar, and also availed a loan from a private bank to arrange the money, which was transferred to the accused, the FIR said.
From June 20, she had transferred Rs 2,05,16,652, the FIR stated.
The fraud came to light when the accused allegedly asked the complainant to visit a police station to obtain a 'no-objection certificate' and promised that the entire amount would be returned, following which the victim realised that she had fallen prey to a digital arrest scam.
Based on her complaint, a case was registered at Whitefield CEN crime police station on November 27 under Sections 319 (2) (Cheating by personation) and 318 (4) (Cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant sections of the Information Technology Act, police said, adding that further investigation is under way.
