Shivaji Statue Case: Jaydeep Apte Arrested in Connection with the Statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

In connection with the incident where a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj fell at Rajkot Fort in Maharashtra last month, sculptor-contractor Jaydeep Apte, who had been on the run, was arrested on the night of September 4 in Kalyan, Thane district. A senior police officer stated that Jaydeep Apte (24) was being sought by the Sindhudurg police because the statue he created fell less than nine months after its inauguration on August 26. The police had formed seven teams to locate him. After the statue fell, the Malvan police filed a case against Jaydeep Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil for negligence and other offenses. Chetan Patil was arrested last week in Kolhapur. The fall of the statue has sparked significant political controversy in Maharashtra ahead of the state assembly elections, with the opposition targeting the government led by Eknath Shinde. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare criticized the state government, stating that the government should not claim credit for Apte’s arrest, as it was their duty. Apte should have been arrested earlier, she added. Meanwhile, a five-member joint technical committee has visited Malvan Fort to investigate the site. The police have sent samples of the materials used for the statue and the platform to a forensic lab for examination. State Congress chief Nana Patole alleged in Pune that only 1.5 crore rupees were spent on the statue’s construction, while 236 crore rupees were withdrawn from the state treasury. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde responded that the opposition is politicizing the incident. Patole countered that expressing outrage against the insult to Shivaji Maharaj cannot be considered political exploitation.