Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Statue Collapse: Contractor Jaydeep Apte Faces FIR

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Statue Collapse: Contractor Jaydeep Apte Faces FIR

The police have filed an FIR against contractor Jaydeep Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil of the 35-foot-tall statue for collapse in connection with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Sindhudurg, Maharashtra. The statue was installed merely eight months ago on Navy Day and resulted in a befitting tribute to the citizens of Sindhudurg.

The FIR has been lodged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 109, 110, 125, 318, and 3(5) in the matter. The Indian Navy, under whose aegis the dismantled statue was re-erected, will also carry out an inquiry into the causes that led to the collapse and confirm that appropriate steps are taken to restore and re-establish the same statue again.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde pinned strong winds as being behind the collapse, reported to be blowing at around 45km an hour at the time of the collapse.

He really regrets and is sorry for the incident, which he has promised will be tested by all manner of investigations on the incident that led to the collapse. The state government has reached out to the Indian Navy, whose officers are working on how to reinstall the statue at its original site.

The incident occurred late Monday, and P.W. Minister Ravindra Chavan rushed to the site soon after and will monitor the investigation under directions from Chief Minister Shinde.The Indian Navy is fully assisting the state authorities in the ongoing investigation while also assisting with the statue’s restoration.

On December 4, 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue at Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg, Maharashtra, for the first time. However, the incident has drawn sharp criticism from political parties in opposition as well that demand accountability.

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NCP MP Supriya Sule called that the contractor who did the work be blacklisted, citing danger in the construction of the statue. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has gone all out against the rushed nature of the statue’s inauguration.

He even related the inauguration to the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, hinting that the raising of this statue during this time is a part of that conspiracy where proper construction work hasn’t been done due to which the structure integrity has harmed.