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In a recent turn of events, Chetan Patil, a structural engineer named in the FIR registered over the collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Maharashtra's Rajkot, has claimed that his work was limited to the statue's platform.
Patil, on Wednesday, told the Marathi news channel ABP Majha that he had no involvement with the statue itself.
Earlier, the Free Press Journal (FPJ) reported that an FIR had been registered by local police in connection with the statue collapse, naming contractor Jaydeep Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 109, 110, 125, 318, and 3(5).
Speaking to the news channel, Patil stated that he had submitted the design for the platform on which the statue was to be erected to the Navy and the Public Works Department, as he was only responsible for the platform. He added that the statue itself was constructed by a Thane-based company.
Politics over collapse
The collapse of the 35-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg on Monday provided the opposition in the state with an opportunity to criticise the Eknath Shinde government. The Maharashtra state government quickly responded as the issue escalated into a major political controversy.
On Wednesday, leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) condemned state minister Deepak Kesarkar's remarks as "shameful and pitiful" following the statue's collapse. During his visit to the Rajkot Fort on Tuesday, Kesarkar, rather than condemning the poor construction of the newly erected statue, remarked that there was now an opportunity to build a 100-foot-tall statue.
Dy CM Ajit Pawar's apology
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, taking on a conciliatory role, apologised for the incident during his Jansamvad Yatra in Latur and assured the public that strict action would be taken against those responsible.
"The statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj fell due to the wind. However, action will be taken against those responsible for this incident. As the Deputy Chief Minister of the state, I publicly apologise to the 13 crore people of the state. Strict action will be taken against all those at fault," said Ajit Pawar, offering an apology on behalf of Maharashtra for the statue incident.
