CM Shinde Promises Strict Action Against Sculptor Whose Shivaji Statue Fell On Rajkot Fort

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday said strict action will be taken against Jaideep Apte, the sculptor of Chhatrapati Shivaji's statue that collapsed in Malvan in the state's Sindhudurg district last month, and asserted no one will be spared in the case.

Shinde said Apte's arrest by the police on Wednesday night is a tight slap on the face of the opposition, which he claimed was spreading rumours that the state government was shielding him.

"Be it Jaideep Apte or anybody, no one is above the law. There will be strict action against him. No one will be spared," Shinde said.

The Sindhudurg police produced sculptor-contractor Jaydeep Apte and consultant Chetan Patil before a court there and said interrogation was required to find out what kind of materials they had used to design and construct the 35-foot statue.

Both have been remanded to police custody till Sept 10.

While Patil was arrested on Aug. 30 from Kolhapur, Apte was taken into custody on Wednesday night from Kalyan in Thane district, nearly 10 days after an First Information Report was registered in connection with the incident.

The Sindhudurg police told the court the materials recovered from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue were rusted and it needs to be ascertained if items of subpar quality were used by the accused.

The statue of the iconic Maratha warrior king collapsed at the Rajkot fort in Malvan tehsil of the district on Aug. 26, nearly nine months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled it on Navy Day.

The police in their remand application said it needs to interrogate the accused to find out from where they purchased the materials used to construct the statue and if they were of sub-par quality.

"Nut, bolts, iron rods and other materials of the statue were rusted. It needs to be seen what kind of material was used for the statue by the accused and if it was of subpar quality," it said.

The police said it also needs to collect the mould and dye and the sample of materials used for the statue.

It needs to be ascertained if the accused had carried out a feasibility audit while designing and constructing the statue, police added.

"Whether the accused had considered the parameters of wind, water, earthquake and topography of the area before making the structural design of the statue needs to be probed. It also needs to be found out if the accused were aware of the longevity of the statue at the time of designing it," the police said in its report.

Apte's lawyer Ganesh Sovani said the sculptor had intended to surrender on Wednesday night and that he was willing to cooperate with the probe.

"He is willing to submit to the police all details regarding the design of the statue and other documents," Sovani told the court.

The advocate further argued that the FIR in the case was lodged 'hastily' and that the government ought to have appointed an expert committee to examine the cause behind the fall and if there were any material defects.

"Once the committee submits its report and if then any person is indicted then a case could have been lodged," Sovani said.

In the absence of a scientific report, FIR ought not to have been registered, he added.

The police in its note further said it has to recover the original copy of the work order issued to the accused by the government.

"The terms and conditions and other obligations mentioned in the work order needs to be seen. The custodial interrogation of the accused is required for this purpose," the police said.

It added that details on the stability, analysis and design of pedestal for erection of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj sculpture, which cover 16 pages, have been seized from Apte.

Apte, a Thane-based sculptor, was responsible for creating the 35-foot statue of Shivaji Maharaj.

The Sindhudurg police had registered an FIR against Apte and Patil for the collapse of the statue last month, under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections for negligence and other offences.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut alleged preparations are on to obtain bail for Apte.

Efforts for his release, including legal help, are being made from Thane, Raut alleged in an apparent reference to Chief Minister Shinde.

Raut also alleged there was corruption in building the statue and attempts were made to shield those involved.