Shivaji Maharaj Statue Collapse: The Maharashtra Police on Thursday arrested the structural consultant in the case related to the collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra.
The structural consultant, Chetan Patil, was arrested from Kolhapur and taken into custody late on Thursday night. Kolhapur Superintendent of Police Mahendra Pandit has confirmed that the case has been transferred to the Sindhudurg police for further inquiry.
Days after the statue collapsed, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar reached the incident site and stated,” Everyone is disheartened with whatever happened. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is our God and everyone is proud of his history…The Chief Minister has conducted meetings related to this…Efforts are being taken to rebuild the statue. Actions will be taken against those who are responsible. No matter where they run, they will be held…”.
Shivaji statue collapse
Patil, a resident of Kolhapur, despite his arrest, has denied the allegation and has stated that he was not liable for the structural design of the statue. The consultant, while in talks with the Marathi news channel ABP Majha, has disclosed that he has submitted the design for the platform to the Indian Navy through the state’s Public Work Department (PWD) and he has no connection with the statue itself.
All about the collapse of the statue
The 17th-century Maratha warrior king’s 35-foot statue was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year at Rajkot Fort in Malvan tehsil. The statue collapsed on Monday afternoon causing huge embarrassment for the Maharashtra government. Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde mentioned that the design of the statue was designed by the Indian Navy.
The incident was highly criticised and opposition parties also protested against it. According to the Chief Minister’s Office statement, the CM has held a meeting with the ministers, Indian Navy representatives, and senior state officials. It also stated that a technical committee has been formed to investigate the reasons behind the collapse of the Shivaji Maharaj statue. The committee will include representation from Navy officials, engineers, and experts from IIT.
(With inputs from PTI)