Chhatrapati Shivaji Statue Collapse: Who Is Jaydeep Apte? Contractor Under Lens After Mishap In Sindhudurg

Mumbai: The statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, erected on Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg, suddenly collapsed on Monday, August 26. The intial cause of the disaster was attibuted to strong winds in the region yesterday. However, this unexpected event has led to numerous questions regarding the statue’s creator and the contractor responsible for its installation.

FIR Filed Against Contractor & Structural Consultant

An FIR has been registered by local police in the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue collapse incident against contractor Jaydeep Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 109,110,125,318 and 3(5), informed Sindhudurg Police.

'Sculptor, Contractor An Aide Of Shrikant Shinde,' Alleges Saamana

According to a report by Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpeice Saamana, the contractor and sculptor of the statue Jaydeep Apte of Kalyan is an acquaintance of CM Shinde's son and local MP Shrikant Shinde. The report also mentioned that he had no prior experience in making such large statues.

The statue was originally installed on Rajkot Fort to commemorate Navy Day. The Indian Navy commissioned the statue, and the contract for its creation was awarded to a company named M/s Artistry. The proprietor and sculptor behind the statue, Jaydeep Apte, along with structural consultant Chetan Patil, were entrusted with the project. The statue was unveiled on December 4, 2023, by Prime Minister Modi.

Who Is Jaydeep Apte?

Following the unveiling, a special interview with sculptor Jaydeep Apte was published in the daily newspaper Sanatan Prabhat, where he shared insights about the creation of the statue. Jaydeep Apte, a young 24-year-old sculptor from Thane district's Kalyan, was given the responsibility of crafting the 28-foot-tall bronze statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj by the Indian Navy.

In his interview with Sanatan Prabhat, Jaydeep Apte explained that typically, a bronze statue of such magnitude takes about three years to complete. However, work on this statue began in June 2023 and was finished by December 2023, a much shorter timeframe than usual. As a result, Apte has since been under lens with allegations of conducting shoddy work in constructing the massive statue.