Overview
- Local residents reported that the statue was visibly swaying in strong winds, and a police complaint led to a Public Works Department inspection that engineers found the structure unsafe after an assessment on Monday.
- Officials secured the statue with heavy ropes and erected barricades to protect passersby while they finalise plans for crane-assisted dismantling and temporary supports.
- Authorities have decided the monument must be removed because its iron skeleton and fibreglass cladding showed compromised fasteners and unstable foundation bolts that could fail in high winds or heavy rain.
- No single agency has accepted clear responsibility for the takedown, with PWD, NHAI and RVNL citing jurisdictional limits and reports saying a mandatory PWD no-objection certificate may not have been obtained.
- The statue was commissioned by the Sree Bhumi Sporting Club for Messi’s GOAT Tour stop in December 2025, a build that drew public criticism and has become entangled with political controversy involving local officials and organisers.