File picture of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue inaugurated by PM Modi at Sindhudurg in 2023
A case has been registered against the contractor responsible for the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue at Rajkot Fort in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg, which collapsed on Monday (August 26, 2024), eight months after its unveiling by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Following a complaint lodged by the Public Works Department, which alleges poor construction quality, with rusted nuts and bolts discovered in the structure, a case was registered against contractor Jaydeep Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil. They were booked under several Sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for collusion, fraud and endangering public safety.
The officials told police that despite multiple warnings, including an alert from the assistant engineer of the Malvan division of the PWD on August 20, no preventive measures were taken.
The PWD had flagged the rusting nuts and bolts as a threat to the statue’s stability, but these concerns were ignored, they told the police.
According to District Guardian Minister Ravindra Chavan, the steel used in the statue had begun rusting. “The PWD had already informed Navy officials about the rusting issue and requested them to take necessary action,” he said.
