Jaydeep Apte, a 24-year-old sculptor and contractor, was arrested in Kalyan on Wednesday night in connection with the recent collapse of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort. The statue, which had been inaugurated less than nine months ago, collapsed on August 26, leading to an ongoing investigation.
Thane’s Joint Commissioner of Police, Dnyaneshwar Chavan, confirmed Apte’s arrest and mentioned that he would soon be handed over to the custody of the Sindhudurg police. Apte had been on the run since the collapse of the statue, which prompted the Maharashtra police to form seven teams in search of him.
Case Filed Against Apte and Consultant
Following the incident, Malvan police filed a case against both Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil, accusing them of negligence and other related offenses. Patil was arrested last week in Kolhapur. The controversy surrounding the collapse gained political attention in Maharashtra, especially as the state heads toward assembly elections.
Political Reactions
The arrest of Apte prompted reactions from various political figures. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pravin Darekar responded to the arrest by stating, “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 him, but the police did their job.”
On the other hand, Sushama Andhare of Shiv Sena (UBT) urged the state government not to claim credit for Apte’s arrest. She emphasized, “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.”
Investigation Ongoing
Meanwhile, a five-member joint technical committee visited the Malvan fort to investigate the site and determine the cause of the collapse.