Kalyan Police arrested sculptor Jaydeep Apte from his residence following a lookout notice issued by Sindhudurg District authorities. Apte had been on the run after the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue at Rajkot Fort, Malvan.
Taking advantage of the darkness, Apte returned to his Kalyan home to meet his wife and mother. However, the police quickly arrested him. The authorities had earlier detained structural engineer Chetan Patil in connection with the incident, charging him under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita.
Public outrage erupted after the statue collapsed on August 26, just eight months after its unveiling in December 2023. The police issued a lookout notice on Tuesday to prevent Apte from fleeing the country.
Apte’s family initially sought refuge with relatives in Shahapur, but the police tracked and questioned his wife and mother. Despite multiple attempts to arrest him, the police finally apprehended Apte at his Kalyan residence.
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Opposition leaders have accused the MahaYuti government of shielding Apte and covering up corruption involved in the statue’s construction. The statue’s collapse, attributed to heavy winds by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, was rejected by the Opposition, who claimed corruption as the real cause.
Art Director of the project revealed that only a six-foot statue was approved, but officials erected a 35-foot statue instead. Amid the controversy, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and later Chief Minister Shinde apologized. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also sought forgiveness on August 30.
The state government has promised a thorough investigation into the incident.