Consultant Chetan Patil Arrested in Connection with Collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Statue

Mumbai: In a significant police action, Chetan Patil, a consultant for Artistry Company, was arrested by Sindhudurg police from Kolhapur in connection with the collapse of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the Rajkot Fort in Malvan, Maharashtra. Two individuals were named in the case, and Patil was apprehended late at night, while Jaydeep Apte, the owner of Artistry Company, remains at large.

The statue, located near the Sindhudurg Fort in Malvan, has been a source of anger and discontent among Shivaji followers and opposition parties. Many have taken an aggressive stance against the incident, demanding accountability. Following the collapse, both Chetan Patil and Jaydeep Apte were charged, and the police had been actively pursuing Patil, who had been evading capture for four days.

A case of culpable homicide was registered against the construction consultant Dr. Chetan Patil and the contractor at Malvan police station. Despite their phones being switched off, making it difficult to trace them, a team from the local Crime Investigation Branch eventually tracked down Patil at his residence in Shivaji Peth, Kolhapur, and arrested him around 3 a.m. on Friday. He has since been handed over to Sindhudurg police for further investigation.

The statue was installed last year during the Navy Day celebrations near Sindhudurg Fort and was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, it had been a subject of controversy from the beginning, with many Shivaji enthusiasts criticizing the statue’s quality and demanding its replacement with a new one.