Maharashtra: Sculptor Jaydeep Apte Arrested Over Shivaji Statue Collapse

Mumbai: Maharashtra police have managed to apprehend sculptor Jaydeep Apte, who was on the run for 10 days. Apte had built the 35-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort in Malvan that collapsed on August 26. On Thursday, he was produced before a magistrate court, which remanded him to police custody till September 10.

After receiving information from his wife, the police arrested Apte from his residence at Kalyan on Wednesday night. Immediately after the statue collapsed, the police had started searching for him. After not finding him at his home or at the places of his relatives or friends, the police had issued a Lookout Circular against the sculptor.

Multiple police teams were deployed across different locations to trace Apte. His family had informed the police that he had not contacted them after the statue at Rajkot fort collapsed. However, he contacted the family on Wednesday night after his wife informed the police that he was coming to meet the family.

After his arrest, Apte was handed over to Sindhudurg police, who took him to Sindhudurg for further investigation.

This was the second arrest in the case. Earlier, the police had arrested structural consultant Chetan Patil from Kolhapur on August 30. His police custody also ended on Thursday. The police produced both the accused before a magistrate in Sidhurg. While seeking their remand, the police told the court that they wanted to ascertain the quality of material used to construct the statue, for which the interrogation of both the accused was necessary.

Apte’s lawyer Ganesh Sovani informed that his client had decided to surrender before the police and face legal action instead of applying for a pre-arrest bail. The decision was made on Wednesday and as per the plan, he came to Kalyan to surrender before the police, he said.

There was outrage across Maharashtra after the statue collapsed. It has also become a major political issue ahead of the Assembly elections, which are expected to be held in November this year. The opposition has alleged that there was corruption in awarding contracts to Apte and the Eknath Shinde government is shielding him.

After Apte’s arrest, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said, “Everyone is equal before the law, and the sculptor of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue will be held accountable. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is our revered figure. Politicising this incident is unfortunate.”