Shivaji statue collapse: Structural consultant arrested

In a big development, a structural consultant, Chetan Patil who was involved in the structural design of the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district, which recently collapsed, has been taken into custody. The arrest of the structural consultant follows days of protests by opposition leaders who demanded a comprehensive investigation into the collapse. The police arrested Patil in Kolhapur, days after he went on the run following the incident. That particular incident has provoked a large quantum of public anger and whipped up a veritable political storm in the community.

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

The 35-foot-tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, situated in Rajkot Fort, Malvan, was inaugurated on December 4 last year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Navy Day celebrations, marking the first time the event was held in Sindhudurg. The statue was meant to commemorate the Maratha Navy and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s contributions to maritime defense and security, as well as its historical ties to the modern Indian Navy.

After the statue’s collapse, at least six investigative teams from the Kolhapur Police, Sindhudurg Police, and Thane Police were deployed to locate Patil and the sculptor, Jaydeep Apte, who remains at large. Both suspects had switched off their mobile phones, making the search more challenging.

Now, a joint technical committee will be set up which shall go into the detailed cause of this accident. It shall be headed by the Indian Navy itself with representation from Maharashtra Government and their respective field experts. This joint technical committee will look deep into the root causes behind the unfortunate collapse of the structure.

The Opposition coalition, MVA, on the other hand accused the ruling administration in serious corruption charges in the said statue construction, and therefore, pressed for the resignation of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. This fall of the statue is bound to be seen as hugely heightening already perennial political tensions within the state over calls for accountability, as well as a proper and transparent investigation into the matter.