An FIR has been filed against two people in connection with the collapse of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at a fort in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. The complaint accuses contractor and artisanry company owner Jaydeep Apte and structural consultant Dr Chetan Patil of negligence and poor quality of work as well as potentially causing harm to people around the statue.
Jaydeep Apte lives in Kalyan, while Dr Patil is from Kolhapur. Both have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, specifically Sections 109, 110, 125 and 318 (3) (5). Ajit Patil, an assistant engineer and PWD officer, has filed a complaint with the Sindhudurg police regarding the collapse of the statue.
Also read: Maharashtra: 35 feet high statue of Shivaji Maharaj fell, PM Modi had unveiled it last year
After the incident, the contractor’s house was locked
Aaj Tak tried to talk to contractor and artisan company owner Jaydeep Patil but he did not respond to any calls or messages. Moreover, his residence in Kalyan has been locked since the incident.
The FIR states that PWD officials had sent an email to contractor Jaideep Apte on August 20, alerting him about rust on the nuts and bolts and that the statue was in danger. However, no action was taken.
PM Modi inaugurated it 8 months ago
The 35-feet tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was formally inaugurated 8 months ago on December 4 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It was inaugurated along with the Navy Day celebrations. Paying tribute to the visionary efforts of Shivaji Maharaj, the statue was installed at a fort in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra.
Also read: Chhatrapati Shivaji’s ‘Vagh Nakh’ came from London to Mumbai, will remain in Satara’s museum for seven months
Navy sent team for repair and restoration
The Indian Navy has also expressed deep concern about the damage to the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. In collaboration with the state government and concerned experts, the Navy has sent a team to find out the cause of the incident and take necessary measures to repair and restore the statue as soon as possible.