Mumbai: The Police continue to search for contractor Jaydeep Apte in connection with the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue at Rajkot Fort. A 35-foot tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, which was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rajkot Fort in Malvan tehsil of Sindhudurg on Navy Day (December 4) last year, collapsed on August 26.
Following this, the local Police have filed an FIR against contractor Jaydeep Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil under sections 109, 110, 125, 318, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Patil was arrested from Kolhapur, whereas contractor Jaydeep Apte continues to be untraceable. Apte, a Thane-based sculptor, had executed the contract to make the statue.
The Maharashtra Police have issued a Look Out Circular against contractor Jaydeep Apte, officials said on Tuesday. A LOC is issued to airports and all other exit points to stop a person from fleeing the country.
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) mouthpiece, Saamana, claimed that Apte had no prior experience of constructing such large statues and was awarded the contract as he was an acquaintance of Shrikant Shinde. "Chief Minister Shinde had given the job of erecting the statue of Shivaji to Jaideep Apte of Kalyan, an acquaintance of his son Shrikant Shinde. Apte is a young man of only 24 years. He had no experience in making such large statues. Even after that, it is being questioned that he was entrusted with the work," Saamana posted on X.
Engineer Says Didn't Work on Statue
Earlier, structural consultant Chetan Patil claimed that he worked on the platform and not on the statue. Patil claimed that he was not the structural consultant for the project. He said that he had submitted the design of the platform to the Indian Navy through the Public Works Department (PWD), but had nothing to do with the statue itself, reported PTI. "A Thane-based company did the statue-related work. I was just asked to work on the platform on which the statue was being erected," Patil said.
Collapse Triggers Political Row
The collapse of the statue of the iconic founder of the Maratha state has snowballed into a major political row with the opposition MVA targeting the Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP government and seeking the resignation of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the statue was built by the Navy, but the state government has now decided to install a bigger statue of the Maratha warrior king at the same place. "It is our resolve to build a bigger statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the same site," Fadnavis said.
"The construction of the statue was not overseen by the state government but by the Navy. The individuals responsible for the fabrication and installation of the statue might have overlooked important local factors, such as high wind speed and the quality of the iron used. The statue might have become more prone to rust due to its exposure to ocean winds," he added.