Shivaji statue collapse: Seven teams deployed to trace sculptor Jaydeep Apte; Congress hints at corruption

File picture of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj that collapsed on August 26, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Police in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district have pressed more than seven teams to track down sculptor and contractor Jaydeep Apte, booked over the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue at Rajkot fort, an official said on Wednesday (September 4, 2024).

Police have been searching for 24-year-old Apte since the day of the collapse on August 26, but he has remained untraceable, the official said.

The Sindhudurg police have also issued a Look Out Circular (LOC) against Mr. Apte to prevent him from leaving the country through sea ports, airports and all other exit points, he said.

Teams of Sindhudurg police are searching for him at places, including Mumbai, Thane, Sindhudurg and Kolhapur. Some of the teams are using technical help to apprehend the accused, the official said.

A police team had visited Mr. Apte’s residence at Dudhnaka in Kalyan of Thane district, but it was locked, he said.

Mr. Apte had executed the contract to make the 35-foot statue of the Maratha warrior king that was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the fort in Malvan tehsil on Navy Day, December 4, last year.

After the statue collapsed, the Malvan police registered a case against Mr. Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil for negligence and other offences. Mr. Patil was arrested from Kolhapur last week.

Congress hints at corruption

The Congress on Wednesday alleged a meagre amount of ₹1.5 crore was spent on the construction of the Shivaji statue even though a sum of “₹236 crore” was taken for this work from the State coffers.

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole also hit back at Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other leaders of the Mahayuti who have accused the Opposition of politicising the statue incident.

Patole claimed approximately ₹236 crore was taken from the state government’s coffers in the name of the construction of Shivaji Maharaj’s statue at Rajkot fort in Sindhudurg district.

“But as per our information, the statue construction work was completed with ₹1 crore to ₹1.5 crore,” the Congress leader alleged.