HomeNewsMumbai sculptor arrested in connection with Shivaji Maharaj statue collapse in Malvan

Mumbai sculptor arrested in connection with Shivaji Maharaj statue collapse in Malvan

Jaydeep Apte, a 24-year-old sculptor and contractor implicated in the collapse of a Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue at Rajkot Fort last month, was arrested in Kalyan on Wednesday night.

Dnyaneshwar Chavan, joint commissioner of police in Thane, confirmed the arrest and stated that Apte would be transferred to Sindhudurg police’s custody.

Maharashtra police had been searching for Apte since the statue he created fell on August 26, less than nine months after its inauguration. Seven teams were mobilized to locate him.

After the statue’s collapse, Malvan police charged Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil with negligence and other offences. Patil was apprehended in Kolhapur last week.

The incident has sparked considerable political controversy as Maharashtra’s assembly elections approach, with opposition parties criticizing the government led by Eknath Shinde.

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Responding to the 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.”

In contrast, Sushama Andhare, a leader from Shiv Sena (UBT), commented, “The state government should not try to take any credit for arresting Apte because it is the government’s duty. He was not some underworld don… He should have been arrested sooner.”

Meanwhile, a five-member joint technical committee visited the fort at Malvan during the day to examine the site, according to an official.

For more updates, click here.

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