Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue collapse: Absconding sculptor Jaydeep Apte arrested

Mumbai: Sculptor Jaydeep Apte, wanted in connection with the collapse of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot fort last month, was arrested from neighbouring Kalyan city in Thane district, said Dnyaneshwar Chavan, joint commissioner of police, Thane, on Thursday morning.

Apte was nabbed from a housing society at Kalyan where he had gone on Wednesday night to meet his relatives, police said, adding he would be presented in a magistrate court.

The sculptor was on the run after the Malvan Police in Sindhudurg filed a case against him and his aide, Chetan Patil, structural consultant for the statue project. Patil was arrested earlier this week from Kolhapur.

Apte was arrested by a team of the Bazarpeth Police which had been keeping watch.

The statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji’s statue collapsed on August 26 due to strong winds.

The incident sparked a significant political controversy in the run-up to Maharashtra Assembly elections, with Opposition parties criticising the government led by Eknath Shinde.

Responding to the Apte’s arrest, Pravin Darekar, a Bharatiya Janata Party leader, said, "Those who were critical of our government must shut their mouths now. It is true that police took a little long to arrest Jaydeep Apte. We are not taking any credit for arresting, but the police did their job."

The 28-feet bronze statue was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 4, 2023 during the Navy Day celebrations in Sindhudurg.