Mumbai sculptor arrested in connection with Shivaji statue collapse in Malvan

Mumbai: Jaydeep Apte, a 24-year-old sculptor-contractor wanted in connection with the collapse of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort last month, was arrested in Kalyan on Wednesday night.

Dnyaneshwar Chavan, joint commissioner of police in Thane, confirmed the arrest and stated that Apte would be transferred to the custody of Sindhudurg police.

Maharashtra police had been searching for Apte since the statue he created collapsed on 26 August, less than nine months after its inauguration. Seven teams were formed to locate him.

Following the statue's collapse, Malvan police filed a case against Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil for negligence and other offences. Patil was apprehended in Kolhapur last week.

The incident sparked a significant political controversy in the lead-up to Maharashtra's assembly elections, with opposition parties criticising the government led by Eknath Shinde.

Responding to the arrest, Pravin Darekar, a Bharatiya Janata Party leader, said, "Those who were critical of our government must shut their mouths now. It is true that police took a little long to arrest Jaydeep Apte. We are not taking any credit for arresting, but the police did their job."

In contrast, Sushama Andhare, a leader from Shiv Sena (UBT), commented, "The state government should not try to take any credit for arresting Apte because it is the government's duty. He was not some underworld don... He should have been arrested sooner."

Meanwhile, a five-member joint technical committee visited the fort at Malvan during the day to examine the site, according to an official.