Shivaji Statue Collapse: Sculptor Jaydeep Apte Arrested Amid Political Stir

Shivaji Statue Collapse: Kalyan, Thane: Sculptor and contractor Jaydeep Apte, wanted in connection with the collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue at Rajkot fort last month, was arrested from Kalyan in Thane district on Wednesday night, according to a senior police official.

Apte, 24, had been the focus of a search operation by Sindhudurg police in Maharashtra since the statue he created collapsed on August 26, just nine months after its inauguration. Police had formed seven teams to track him down.

Following the incident, Malvan police filed a case against Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil for negligence and other offences. Patil was arrested from Kolhapur last week.

The statue's collapse has sparked significant political controversy ahead of Maharashtra's assembly elections, with the Opposition criticizing the Eknath Shinde-led government.

In response, BJP leader Pravin Darekar stated, "Those who were critical of our government must keep quiet now. It's true that police took a little longer to arrest Jaydeep Apte. We are not claiming credit for the arrest, but the police did their job."

Conversely, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushama Andhare remarked, "The state government should not take credit for Apte’s arrest as it is their duty. He was not an underworld don… He should have been arrested sooner."

A joint technical committee of five members visited the fort in Malvan and examined the site during the day. Additionally, police have sent samples of the materials used for the statue and its platform to a forensic science laboratory for analysis.

State Congress chief Nana Patole accused the administration of misusing funds, alleging that only Rs 1.5 crore was spent on the statue's construction despite Rs 236 crore being allocated for the project. In response to Chief Minister Shinde’s claim that the opposition was politicizing the incident, Patole said expressing anger over an insult to Shivaji Maharaj should not be labeled as politicizing the matter.