An FIR has been registered against the contractor of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg which collapsed on Monday within just eight months of its inauguration. The statue was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 4 in 2023.
According to the police officials, the FIR was registered under sections 109, 110, 125, 318, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against contractor Jaydeep Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The charges include collusion, fraud, and endangering public safety.
Local citizens and tourists had previously expressed their concerns about the statue’s deteriorating condition. Despite these warnings, including an alert from the assistant engineer of the Malvan division of the PWD on August 20, no preventive action was taken. The PWD stated that the rusting nuts and bolts posed a risk to the statue’s stability, yet the warnings were ignored.
The steel used in making of the statue had started rusting. The PWD had already written to Navy officials informing them about the statue catching rust and requested them to take appropriate steps,” said Sindhudurg guardian minister Ravindra Chavan said.
According to reports, the Indian Navy that has no expertise in statue construction was given the task to erect the statue and its pedestal.
