'Nuts, bolts rusted': Shivaji Maharaj statue collapses 8 months after unveiling; FIR filed
Shivaji Maharaj statue collapse: A statue of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a fort in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district only 8 months ago, has collapsed. The 35-foot statue collapsed around 1 p.m. at Rajkot Fort in Malvan on Monday. PM Modi unveiled the statue on December 4, last year, as part of the fort's Navy Day celebrations.
An FIR has been filed against Jaydeep Apte, the contractor for the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue, and Chetan Patil, the structural consultant, under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The charges include collusion, fraud, and jeopardising public safety. The FIR followed a complaint filed by the Public Works Department (PWD) alleging that the statue's construction was of poor quality and that the nuts and bolts used in the structure were rusty.
Locals and visitors had previously raised concerns about the statue's deteriorating state. Despite numerous warnings, including an alert from the assistant engineer of the Malvan division of the PWD on August 20, no preventive measures were implemented. The PWD stated that the rusted nuts and bolts posed a risk to the statue's stability, but their warnings were ignored.
"The steel used to make the statue has started to corrode. The PWD had already written to Navy officials informing them about the statue rusting and requesting that they take appropriate action," said Sindhudurg guardian minister Ravindra Chavan.
The work on the monument began on September 8, with the Indian Navy, which has no experience with statue construction, tasked with erecting the statue and pedestal. The statue was unveiled on Navy Day, December 4, at Rajkot Fort, presided over by Prime Minister Modi.
- PTC NEWS
