Shivaji statue collapse: Murder bid FIR against 2 | Mumbai News – Times of India

MUMBAI: An artist from Kalyan and a structural contractor from Kolhapur have been charged with attempt to murder and culpable homicide in connection with the collapse of the 35-ft statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot fort in Sindhudurg. The statue, unveiled by PM Modi on Dec 4, 2023, collapsed on Monday afternoon, sparking a political controversy.The Malvan police registered an FIR based on a complaint filed by the public works department against artist Jaydeep Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil. Sindhudurg SP Saurabh Kumar Agrawal stated, “The forensic team has collected samples from the spot. Experts will be roped in to find out the reason for the collapse. No arrest has been made. The two persons booked are the artist and structural contractor. The team will be going through the documents and based on the FSL report, action will be initiated.”The state PWD stated in the FIR they had transferred Rs 2.4 crore to Navy for construction of the statue. The duo booked under the BNS sections face up to 10 years imprisonment if proven guilty. The FIR also mentioned “poor construction quality, with rusted nuts and bolts discovered in the structure.”Shiv Sena minister Deepak Kesarkar said govt will build a new 100-ft statue of Shivaji Maharaj at the spot.The police also booked Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Vaibhav Naik and two of his associates Harishchandra Khobrekar and Mandar Keni for vandalism at the local PWD office.