Maharashtra Police on Wednesday arrested sculptor-contractor Jaydeep Apte, wanted in connection with the collapse of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort last month, from Kalyan in Thane district.
He was found in Kalyan after which he was taken to the zonal DCP’s office late at night. “He will be produced before the court on Thursday following which his custody will be handed over to the Sindhudurg police,” an officer said, Indian Express reported.
The Sindhudurg police had been searching for Apte (24) since the 35-foot tall statue, which he made, collapsed on August 26, just nine months after its inauguration.
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After the collapse, Malvan police registered a case against Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil for negligence and other offences. Patil was arrested from Kolhapur last week. Five police teams were formed to track the sculptor, who had been absconding for over a week, and a look out circular was also issued.
Notably, Apte, the owner of an art company in Kalyan with no prior experience of constructing large statues, was responsible for creating the Shivaji Maharaj statue at Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg’s Malvan, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December last year, India Today reported.
Also Read: Shivaji statue collapse: Structural consultant arrested from Kolhapur
The collapse of the statue triggered a political row ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Maharashtra. On Sunday, Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders took out a march against the BJP-led Central and state governments, alleging corruption in statue construction and contract process.