Sculptor Arrested After Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Statue Collapse in Maharashtra
Sindhudurg (Maharashtra) [India], September 5: The sculptor of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Jaydeep Apte, has been arrested by the Sindhudurg Police. According to the police, Jaydeep Apte was arrested from Thane and will be presented in court later today.
Police officials stated, “Sindhudurg Police has arrested sculptor Jaydeep Apte in connection with the collapse of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He has been taken from Thane to Sindhudurg and will be produced before the competent court later today.”
Earlier, Chetan Patil, the structural consultant for the statue, was arrested from Kolhapur. The FIR was registered under sections 109, 110, 125, 318, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), as confirmed by Sindhudurg Police.
The 35-foot-tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Sindhudurg district collapsed on August 26. It was unveiled on December 4 last year during Navy Day celebrations and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The collapse of the statue has led to a significant political dispute, with opposition leaders criticizing the Eknath Shinde-led government. On September 1, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the incident. Pawar remarked, “These rulers are not for your benefit. Narendra Modi says that my relationship with Sharad Pawar is good, he even said that I came holding Pawar Saheb’s finger, but now I’m worried about my finger in the current situation. Who came for the inauguration of that statue? Modi… Wherever his hand touches, something goes wrong.”
Maha Vikas Aghadi launched a massive protest in Mumbai against the statue collapse. UBT Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray said that Maharashtra’s soul has been insulted and the people will never forget those who insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stated that the state government is taking swift action to reconstruct the statue and has formed two committees to investigate the collapse.
Doubts Revealed
Sculptor -: A sculptor is a person who makes sculptures, which are three-dimensional artworks made from materials like stone, metal, or clay.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj -: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was a great Indian warrior king and the founder of the Maratha Empire in the 17th century. He is a very important historical figure in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra -: Maharashtra is a state in western India. Its capital is Mumbai, which is also the financial capital of India.
Sindhudurg Police -: Sindhudurg Police is the police department responsible for maintaining law and order in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi -: Narendra Modi is the current Prime Minister of India. He is the head of the government and makes important decisions for the country.
Nationalist Congress Party -: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is a political party in India. It was founded by Sharad Pawar and is mainly active in Maharashtra.
Sharad Pawar -: Sharad Pawar is a senior Indian politician and the founder of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). He has held many important positions in the Indian government.
UBT Sena -: UBT Sena refers to a faction of the Shiv Sena party led by Uddhav Thackeray. Shiv Sena is a regional political party in Maharashtra.
Uddhav Thackeray -: Uddhav Thackeray is an Indian politician and the leader of the UBT Sena faction of the Shiv Sena party. He was also the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde -: Eknath Shinde is the current Chief Minister of Maharashtra. The Chief Minister is the head of the state government.