On August 26 (Monday), an incident sparked massive public outrage and political turmoil. Sculptor Jaydeep Apte and his associate Patil have been on the run since then. Both have evaded the police, whose probe teams from Kolhapur, Sindhudurg, and Thane were actively searching for them.
Last night, authorities finally apprehended Patil. The Kolhapur Police transferred him to the Sindhudurg Police. They will take him to Malvan, the coastal town where the incident occurred.
Apte, who resides in Thane, had constructed a 28-feet tall statue placed on a 10-feet pedestal at Rajkot Fort. Following the incident, Apte also vanished. The Malvan Police have filed a case against him.
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In a previous interview with a Marathi publication, Apte claimed that the statue, typically a three-year project, was completed in just three months. This revelation adds to the controversy.
The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has accused the MahaYuti government of corruption related to the statue’s construction. They are demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and others. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has publicly apologized for the disaster.
As the MahaYuti government faces criticism, the MVA has staged vigorous protests across the state. They also organized a procession that led to a clash between Shiv Sena (UBT) and BJP activists near Rajkot Fort. The MVA plans to continue its protests in the coming days.
The Indian Navy (IN) has announced that it will set up a joint technical committee. This committee will include IN officials, Maharashtra officials, and technical experts. They will investigate the incident and the exceptional weather conditions in Sindhudurg on that day.
The statue was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 4, 2023, during Navy Day celebrations. The IN, along with the state government, financed the project. The IN has committed to assisting in repairing, restoring, and reinstating the statue as soon as possible. The state government has echoed this commitment.